In the recent study, Retirement, Retention, and Recruitment: The Future of Librarianship in Colorado, library workers from all types of libraries from around the state were asked about their careers, their workplaces, and their attitudes about librarianship. Included in the study were school librarians, who were defined as librarians with a library media endorsement, Master of Library Science degree, or equivalent and working in a Colorado school library. This issue of Fast Facts reports the responses of the 110 school librarians who participated in the study.
Highlights from School Librarian Respondents
- Nearly 9 out of 10 indicated they were 45 or older.
- Almost half indicated they plan to retire in the next five years (45%).
- One in 3 have more than 20 years library work experience.
- Nine out of 10 said they had some experience working or volunteering in a school or library before pursuing a library credential.
- More than 3 out of 5 identified a love of books or reading as a factor making librarianship an attractive profession.
- More than 2 out of 3 said misconceptions about librarianship discouraged a career in the profession.
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