Where are they now? A survey of charles sturt university library and information management graduates

Abstract

Charles Sturt University School of Information Studies undertook a graduate destination survey of students who had completed library and information management courses, both undergraduate and postgraduate, in 2003–2004. One hundred and twenty-three responses (from a total of 256 sent out – 48 per cent) were received and from these it was found that 87 per cent of graduates were in either full-time work or part-time work by choice. Less than 5 per cent were unemployed and looking for work. Nearly 75 per cent of those working were in ‘library’ jobs with only a small percentage in other information-related work. Three quarters of graduates had prior library experience with 65 per cent working in libraries during their study. Eighty-two per cent of graduates reported that their course of study had been useful or very useful in providing skills relevant to their current position. While generally, the results of the survey were very positive both for the individuals and for the profession as a whole, there was anecdotal evidence that suggested that inexperienced and/or older graduates found difficulty in gaining suitable employment. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.