Is the Revolution Over? Gender, Economic, and Professional Parity in Academic Library Leadership Positions

Abstract

This article examines recent statistics provided by the government and the library profession concerning gender, professional, and economic parity among academic library directors. The results revealed that women now hold the majority of library directorships and that women’s economic compensation in some cases exceeds that of their male counterparts. The author conducted a two-part survey that looked at the gender of chief administrators at Carnegie doctoral/research extensive university libraries, these institutions’ geographical location and funding mechanism, and the libraries’ mission/vision statements and organizational hierarchies. Little difference was found between men and women in almost all areas examined. The findings of Hernon, Powell, and Young, which were published in the January 2002 issue of College & Research Libraries, also were examined. The author asks whether the revolution is indeed over and what it might signify for the profession.