Once You Get Tenure, You’re on Your Own: Mentoring and Career Support for Mid-Career Academic Librarians

Abstract

Little research exists that evaluates the existence and importance of mentoring for academic librarians with faculty status who have already achieved tenure but have not yet been promoted to a more senior rank, such as full professor or full librarian. This study represents the second of a two-part research project seeking to better understand the existence and accessibility of mentoring, career planning, and other supports for mid-career, tenure-track librarians. The authors conducted seventeen structured interviews with individual librarians who were at associate or full professor/librarian rank with tenure in order to gain insights into these questions. Analysis of the interviews identified several areas of support and guidance that are of particular importance for promotion and career growth for mid-career academic librarians: Criteria, Mentoring, Process, and Responsibilities.