Career Motivations of the Scientist-Turned-Librarian: A Secondary Analysis of WILIS Data.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29173/istl1500Abstract
What might motivate someone with a natural science degree to forgo the lab and pursue a non-traditional career in librarianship? Are there differences between LIS graduates with and without a science degree that might impact recruitment strategies? An analysis of data from a longitudinal career study, "Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science," sought to answer these questions. When compared to their peers with degrees in other fields, science graduates were similar in social motivation, service ethos, desired working conditions, and nearly all other variables. Science graduates were much more likely to cite interest in computers as a motivation to pursue LIS studies. Those with natural science degrees also showed a strong preference for research-oriented settings such as academic and special libraries versus school and public libraries. In addition, science graduates reported greater involvement in professional research and publications than those with degrees in other fields. In multiple ways, science graduates who entered library school expressed a desire to bring their knowledge of science and passion for analytical thinking to a new career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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