MLC 2018

Research is an important component of academic librarianship. Often required for promotion and tenure, research is integral to the practice of evidence-based librarianship. This session will review a study of the perceptions of librarian research according to librarians and non-librarian faculty, as well as the provisions for librarian research in collective agreements at universities across Canada. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to solicit insights from participants on the nature of librarian research, the ability of librarians to conduct research, and the awareness and perceived value of that research. Librarian research was rated as critical and valuable, though awareness of librarian research was found to be relatively low among non-librarian faculty. When this awareness was increased, interdisciplinary communication, trust, and engagement with faculty improved. Formalized support for research was often lacking, even at institutions that require research of their librarians.