Autistic Librarians in the Academic Library Hiring Process

Abstract

Academic library literature contains several studies on the experience of autistic students navigating the world of higher education and its libraries. However, very little is published on the employment experiences of autistic academic librarians. This study attempts to examine employment barriers for autistic people currently or previously employed in academic libraries in Australia and the United States. It employs the use of a survey to examine the recruitment process for academic library jobs in both countries. The study analyzes survey responses to reveal barriers that exist for autistic librarians seeking employment in a higher education library setting. Finally, the study suggests recommendations to make academic library recruitment more inclusive of autistic people.