Retirement, Retention, and Recruitment: The Future of Librarianship in Colorado, a recent study conducted by the LRS, asked 1,241 respondents from around the state about their jobs, their libraries, and their career plans. This issue of Fast Facts examines the data provided by the 91 academic librarian respondents—defined as those having a Master of Library Science degree (MLS) or equivalent and working in a Colorado college or university library.
Highlights from Academic Librarian Respondents
- More than 1 in 3 were under 45.
- One in 3 have more than 20 years experience working in a library.
- Two in 3 worked or volunteered in a library or school prior to pursuing a library degree.
- More than 4 in 5 indicated they had served in a professional leadership role(s) in the last five years.
- More than half said service to others and/or intellectual challenge made librarianship an attractive profession.
- Nine in 10 cited “low financial compensation” as a factor discouraging potential librarians.
- Almost 1 in 2 indicated that salaries or benefits had been frozen or cut at their workplace in the last year.
Click the Download Report button at right to continue reading this Fast Facts.