Loosening the Ties that Bind: Academic Librarians and Tenure

Abstract

This article discusses the impact of faculty status and tenure on the professional lives of academic librarians. Included are a literature review, a discussion of the decline of tenure at academic institutions, and experiences at three universities. This article also includes the results of a survey that focused on the impact of faculty status and tenure on librarians’ participation in institutional governance, opportunities for professional growth, and presence of a faculty library advisory committee. Based on the results of this survey, the authors conclude that only faculty status and tenure guarantee full integration in the university’s governance and academic spheres.