Publish or Perish: A Dilemma For Academic Librarians?

Abstract

This study examines the influence of scholarly requirements on librarians’ ability to earn tenure or continuous employment. After a literature review, the authors present the results of a survey of research, doctoral, and master’s-level institutions. Of the 690 responding institutions, 54.3 percent employ tenure-track librarians. Of these, more than 60 percent require some scholarship and 34.6 percent encourage it. At these 374 institutions, 92.2 percent of librarians who underwent tenure review during a three-year period were approved. The authors summarize survey information on librarians not granted tenure as well as those believed by directors to have resigned to avoid tenure review.