School Library Researchers in the Digital Age: Understanding Teaching, Research and Service in the Academy

Abstract

This study presents the realities of teaching, research and service for 20 school library faculty members working on six continents. Teaching, research and service expectations vary between institutions, with 19/20 of the faculty members teaching four or more classes per academic year with the numbers of students taught varying from 10 to 300. The faculty members in this study are productive, with 9/20 publishing two or more peer-reviewed media per year. Another six are publishing one peer-reviewed media per year. Service is expected and participants in this study are all involved in faculty governance as well as service to the discipline and the profession. This research provides information to potential and current school library faculty that is helpful for making career decisions, e.g., entry to the profession, career progression, research productivity, and mentorship.