The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same: Educational and Disciplinary Backgrounds of American Librarians, 1950–2015

Abstract

Discussions of diversity in American librarianship usually focus on gender or ethnicity, but historical studies also show a lack of diversity in educational and disciplinary backgrounds. Librarians traditionally hail from the humanities, especially English and history. But as current educational attention shifts to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, are librarians reflecting this change? Anonymized data from ALA-accredited graduate programs from the last five years was collected, coded, and classified to determine librarians' educational and disciplinary backgrounds and in what ways, if any, they differ from the past 65 years and from the contemporary U.S. general population. Unsurprisingly, we found that contemporary librarians still hail predominantly from English and history-a stark contrast from the business and health undergraduate degrees earned by the general U.S. population. Backgrounds in STEM fields remain lacking in librarianship, but librarians with undergraduate education in the arts are on the rise, perhaps supporting the creativity, flexibility, innovation and risk-taking necessary in 21st century libraries.

Taking a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Lens to Engineering Librarian Job Postings: Recommendations from an Analysis of Postings from 2018 and 2019

“…But the most inclusive practice is to not list degree disciplines; rather include explicit language that candidates need not have a STEM background and you are seeking to hire someone with a willingness to learn about STEM. When considering degree requirements, it is important to remember that only 11% of librarians have a background in any STEM discipline and less than 3% specifically have a background in engineering or computer science (Clarke and Kim 2018). Continuing to write job postings with both the MLIS degree and a STEM degree as required qualifications is not going to improve the diversity of STEM librarianship.…”

“…Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) librarianship has long lacked diversity (Bright et al 2006;Harrick and Fullington 2017). Considering the dearth of librarians with STEM backgrounds (Clarke and Kim 2018) and the general lack of DEIA in the academic hiring process (Sensoy and DiAngelo 2017), we, as STEM librarians, need to change our recruiting and hiring practices otherwise our profession will not diversify. As Sensoy and DiAngelo (2017) note, we must demonstrate our commitment to DEIA through our actions, otherwise "in good conscience we should stop making the claim that we are campus communities that promote diversity, respect, and inclusion" (577).…”

Design thinking and methods in library practice and graduate library education

“…Formal design education is traditionally absent from education of librarianship (Clarke et al, 2017). A historical review of librarians’ educational and disciplinary backgrounds reveals that less than 9% of librarians have undergraduate education or additional degrees in visual and performing arts, the broader disciplinary category that includes design (Clarke and Kim, 2018). A recent curriculum review of ALA-accredited MLIS and equivalent programs reveals that the word “design” is used to describe over 400 courses, including topics like software design, instructional design, research design, and graphic design; however, only four courses specifically focused on design thinking and methods were identified (Clarke and Potter 2019).…”

Where Are the Scientists?

“…With increased emphasis and focus on science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and affiliated applied science fields in our society (Clarke & Kim, 2018), Canada is seeing an increase in post-secondary enrollment in STEM-related fields (Statistics Canada, 2022). As these students move through their undergraduate and college degrees, there is an expected and anecdotal increase in Master's-level Library and Information Studies/Science (MLIS) students with STEM and applied science backgrounds (e.g., as stated by Kuruppu [2006]).…”

“…As these students move through their undergraduate and college degrees, there is an expected and anecdotal increase in Master's-level Library and Information Studies/Science (MLIS) students with STEM and applied science backgrounds (e.g., as stated by Kuruppu [2006]). However, MLIS student educational backgrounds are predominantly in English, history, and education studies prior to attending American Library Association (ALA)-accredited schools in North America (Beck & Callison, 2006;Clarke & Kim, 2018;Lo et al, 2015). Though these predominant educational backgrounds inevitably imply the underrepresentation of several other disciplines, such as fine arts and business, the representation of science backgrounds is considered especially low (Harrick & Fullington, 2017;Lantzy & Matlin, 2021;Walker, 2011) and is especially so for students with engineering backgrounds (Winston, 2000).…”