Interrogating Shortcomings in Instructional Librarianship Preparation: A Comparison of Perspectives of Employers, LIS Educators, and Instructional Librarians

Abstract

This study compares the perspectives of academic library administrators, library school educators, and academic librarians with respect to academic instructional librarianship. A nine-item questionnaire was administered to 14 educators, 10 library administrators, and 13 instructional librarians. The survey included items related to important qualities/traits of instructional librarians, job preparation, library school training, job duties, assessment, and challenges. Responses indicate a general agreement among the three populations regarding desirable skills/traits, but some disagreement exists between administrators and others regarding assessment. Results also suggest that further consideration is needed about the role and necessity of instructional librarian training in graduate library schools.