Torn Between Two Worlds: Perceptions of the Role, Status, and Career Progression of Librarians Working in University Libraries
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Date
2024
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The Journal of Academic Librarianship
Abstract
Librarians working in university libraries are torn between the two dominant categories (academic and pro fessional) of university staff. Belonging to either of the categories of staff has implications for the employees’
roles and duties, status, and career progression in the academic setting. This study sought to understand the
perception of librarians’ roles, status, and career progression with the changing frontiers of knowledge and
education in contemporary times. Using the qualitative approach, fourteen (14) librarians working in seven
university libraries in Ghana were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. These librarians were
purposively selected because they possessed the qualifications of practice and were experienced in the academic
library setting. The data collected from the interview was transcribed. Using Nvivo software version 14, the
researchers used the Reflexive Thematic Analysis method to garner codes and themes from the data to under stand the phenomenon under study. The findings from the study showed that librarians perceived their roles and
responsibilities of academic librarians to be classified into three dominant categories: research support, teaching,
and managerial/administrative roles. Again, academic librarians were assigned to either the academic or pro fessional cadre in their universities based on the university’s understanding of the library as a professional or
academic unit irrespective of the Librarian’s qualification, roles and responsibilities and the changing academic
librarianship landscape. The study revealed the challenges librarians working in academic libraries face with
their promotion and career progression, including long years of waiting (6 years) to qualify for the promotion,
role inconsistencies, stagnation/lack of promotion, the presence of an unclear career path, and the inability to
meet promotion requirements due to the lack of time for research, all of which have implications on their job
satisfaction leading to demotivation and stress among academic librarians. The findings of this study have
practical implications for policymakers in the Library and Information Science (LIS) field, Higher Education
Institutions (HEI), and researchers to understand the perception of the roles, status, and career progression of the
librarians working in academic libraries in Ghana and to inform policy decisions.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
University libraries, Academic librarians, Professional librarians