Job satisfaction of academic librarians: An examination of the relationships between satisfaction, faculty status, and participation

Abstract

This study examines job satisfaction of academic librarians as it relates to faculty status and participation of librarians in library planning and decision making, university academic affairs, and professional library activities. A questionnaire was distributed to librarians in 300 United States academic libraries at a random sample of universities and colleges in the United States with enrollments exceeding 2, 000 students. An SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) data analysis of 638 responses focused on job satisfaction of three groups of librarians: librarians with no faculty status or rank; librarians with either faculty status or rank, but not both; and librarians with both faculty status and rank. Academic librarians with both faculty status and rank were more satisfied than librarians in the other two groups. They also perceived themselves as more involved in library planning and decision making, more frequently consulted, better informed about mailers affecting the library, and more involved in the university. The best predictors of overall satisfaction were perception of participation, salary, and possession of academic rank.