One Person, Many Responsibilities An Analysis of Science and Technology Library Job

Descriptions

John J MeierScience Librarian

Pennsylvania State University

One Person, Many Responsibilities

An Analysis of Science and Technology Library Job Descriptions

• Background• Literature Review• Methodology• Results• Conclusions• Future Study• Bibliography

Background

• Hired into a new position– Redefined to include more, broad responsibilities

• Change in job responsibilities– Temporary role as administrator during sabbatical

• Study in 2008 of ALA JobLIST postings– Poster for ALA Annual Poster Session in Anaheim

• One year later– Change in results? Trend? New venue to present

Literature Review

• Many content analysis studies of library jobs• Most focused on frequency of certain

responsibilities, some on salary or job titles• Did not focus on total number of tasks

• White, Gary W. “Academic Subject Specialist Positions in the United States: A Content Analysis of Announcements from 1990 through 1998”

• Lynch, Beverly P., Smith, Kimberley Robles “The Changing Nature of Work in Academic Libraries”

• Beile, Penny M., Adams, Megan M. “Other Duties as Assigned: Emerging Trends in the Academic Library Job Market”

Reference and Instruction Librarian - Reference Level I

Provides general and virtual information, research and reference services. Plans, teaches and assesses information literarcy instruction in collaboration with faculty and/or Department Head. Develops web and print based materials. Serves as liaison to academic departments. Locates and creates digital content to support academic instruction; Explores, evaluates and encourages deployment of emergent technologies into library programs and services.

Methodology• Population of all jobs on ALA JobLIST• Selected all Science and Technology Librarians– Must have liaison or collection development responsibility

for a science or technology department

• Used content analysis to code number of tasks– General rule: select action verbs– Exception: when more than one direct object to a verb,

select direct objects of the verb instead– Exception: remove duplicates and only count audiences

once– Exception: count tenure expectation as at least three

ALA JobLIST http://joblist.ala.org/

Reference and Instruction Librarian - Reference Level I

Provides general and virtual information, research and reference services. Plans, teaches and assesses information literacy instruction in collaboration with faculty and/or Department Head. Develops web and print based materials. Serves as liaison to academic departments. Locates and creates digital content to support academic instruction; Explores, evaluates and encourages deployment of emergent technologies into library programs and services.

Reference and Instruction Librarian - Reference Level I

Provides general and virtual information, research and reference services. Plans, teaches and assesses information literacy instruction in collaboration with faculty and/or Department Head. Develops web and print based materials. Serves as liaison to academic departments. Locates and creates digital content to support academic instruction; Explores, evaluates and encourages deployment of emergent technologies into library programs and services.

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Results

2008• JobLIST has total of 368 jobs• Sample of 30 jobs• Average 16• Median 14• Minimum 10• Maximum 28

2009• JobLIST has total of 173 jobs• Sample of 25 jobs• Average 17• Median 16• Minimum 7• Maximum 29

6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

Results

6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

Frequency of Job Task Totals

2008

2009

Conclusions

• Number of total jobs down significantly• Corresponding number of Science and

Technology related library jobs down less• Total number of job tasks up slightly• Number of tasks per job slightly higher than

ACRL standard definition

Future Study

• Historic analysis for true detection of trends– Larger data set– Print job ads– Mapping of archaic terminology to new

vocabulary (ex: Automation = Computer Skillz?)• Coding scheme by type of activity– Discover changing nature of job in more detail– Consistency of coding easier to track

Bibliography

ACRL works with CUPA-HR to update academic library position descriptions

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/personnel/

ALA JobLIST http://joblist.ala.org/

White, Gary W. “Academic Subject Specialist Positions in the United States: A Content Analysis of Announcements from 1990 through 1998”

Lynch, Beverly P., Smith, Kimberley Robles “The Changing Nature of Work in Academic Libraries”

Beile, Penny M., Adams, Megan M. “Other Duties as Assigned: Emerging Trends in the Academic Library Job Market”

Questions?

John J MeierScience Librarian

Pennsylvania State Universitymeier@psu.edu

johnmeier1 – Twitter, Gmail, etc

http://www.personal.psu.edu/jjm38/blogs/meier