If you do the math, academic librarianship is a growing field. Therese Triumph, Reference Librarian at Rutgers University, and Penny Beile, Associate Director of Information Services at University of Central Florida, did just that, analyzing positions advertised in 2011 on the ALA JobList, ARL Job Announcements, and in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Triumph and Beile considered only four-year institutions and removed duplicate and part time positions. The result? Some 957 unique jobs, an increase of 6.4 percent compared to 1996. (And Beile can be pretty sure it’s an apples-to-apples comparison, because she co-authored the 1996 study as well.) The number is, however, down 15.5 percent since 1988.
Other common perceptions are that more jobs require advanced degrees, experience, or both, but again, these are not borne out by the numbers. About three quarters (74 percent) of jobs required or preferred prior work experience, down from approximately 80 percent in 1996 and 82 percent in 1988. Meanwhile, approximately 90 percent of jobs required an ALA accredited MLS, the same percentage as 1996 and down from 98 percent in 1988. Some 23 percent preferred or required additional advanced degrees (subject master’s, law, or doctoral), compared to 26 percent in 1996 and 23.7 percent in 1988. However, this study only addresses what is asked for in the initial advertisement—it remains to be seen whether those who possess such additional degrees are increasingly selected to fill positions.
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