Job Satisfaction of Librarians of African Descent Employed in ARL Academic Libraries

Abstract

Job satisfaction is critical to the retention and recruitment of librarians. This study examines job satisfaction of librarians of African descent employed at academic libraries holding membership in the Association of Research Libraries. The results of a three-part job satisfaction survey are presented. The survey identifies areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for this group of librarians. There has been no significant gain in the number of librarians of African descent in ARL academic libraries in the past ten years. If libraries are to recruit and retain a diverse workforce, consideration must be given to what makes these employees remain on the job and in the profession.