A Common Challenge

At the time of the survey, a common challenge was emerging. It was getting harder to fill open positions, and there were more instances of searches ending unsuccessfully. Many reasons for this were hypothesized. These included competitive job markets with more openings than qualified applicants, and a seeming lack of interest in or awareness of either business librarianship or liaison librarianship. There also appeared to be a decrease in the number of library and information science graduates offering specialized courses in business reference and related areas, and a decline in professional association membership. Some academic business libraries also have local challenges – whether geographic or structural – that complicate searches even further. This phenomenon also appeared to be affecting other specialized fields of librarianship, such as law, engineering, health sciences and cataloging.

This survey does not address the root causes of the trends identified, but was rather the first step toward understanding the business librarian landscape and answering the question: who are we today? We specifically sought to understand the educational backgrounds and career paths of current business librarians, as well as their experiences with continuing business education, mentorship and professional associations. Finally, we asked how satisfied they were with business librarianship as a career.

Key Takeaways from Past Studies

A recent scoping review of the literature on academic business librarianship (Sturgeon et al.2024), analyzed previous research and identified four key themes in the scholarly record at the time. These included the exploration of the educational backgrounds of business librarians - the studies of which were often designed to explore the necessity and value of business degrees - and the typical career path of business librarians. Additional themes identified by Sturgeon et al. included the nature of the work itself, “self-assessment” and professional development. Our current study looks to update findings in the areas of educational backgrounds, career path, professional development and career satisfaction. With respect to professional development, we asked about mentorship, professional association membership and continuing education.

As noted by Sturgeon et al. (2024), past surveys have revealed that a relatively small percentage of business librarians hold business degrees (Kendrick, 1990; Liu & Allen, 2001; Perret, 2010) and that most respondents became business librarians only after working in other library domains or entirely different careers (Kendrick, 1990; Liu & Allen, 2001; Hines & Baker, 2008). With respect to professional development, a vast majority of business librarians reported being a member of a business related professional association or organization, despite a high level of disappointment with them (Garrison & Cramer, 2021). The scholarly record is less robust with respect to continuing education and on-the-job training of business librarians, although one study noted that business librarians’ confidence increased as they gained experience (Perret, 2010). This may have been due to continuing education they received once on the job. Finally, past studies have found that business librarians reported high levels of job satisfaction (Hines & Baker, 2008; Perret, 2010) despite relatively high burnout rates (Harwell, 2013).

Results

The survey consisted of 26 multiple choice and open ended questions (Appendix A) and was distributed in the Spring of 2024 via key business librarian email lists. Of the 125 responses, 117 contained valid data and viable content. Response totals per question varied.

Discussion

The survey results closely match the authors’ perceptions and experiences, as well as those of peer managers who have shared their concerns with us about the sustainability of the business librarian pipeline. We’ve seen first-hand that more recent hires into the profession often lack the robust training so many of us had (or could have had) while still in library school. While curricula evolves in order to meet the changing, wider range of roles that new information professionals aspire to hold, researchers will continue to need partnerships with subject experts. How those subject experts develop their skills and knowledge motivated us to seek input.

The results of this preliminary exploration indicate little has changed with respect to the educational backgrounds of academic business librarians. Since Kendrick’s foundational study in 1990 through today, it remains the case that relatively few business librarians hold undergraduate or graduate degrees in business. However, fewer and fewer options seem to be available today for business librarianship training while in library school, particularly for discipline-specific and functional topics. Alas, sixty percent of survey respondents stated they did not take business research or reference courses while in graduate school. As one respondent shared, “For recruiting, bringing business information/reference classes back to LIS schools is important.” Those types of educational offerings, typically led by prominent librarians from the trenches, sparked the authors’ original interest in subject-based librarianship. Without their instructors’ assignments and in-the-field examples, perhaps neither of us would have been drawn to business librarianship in the first place. We sense there are fewer opportunities for this type of engagement or exposure in today’s library school, where it’s not easy to find courses that address the topics and challenges one encounters as a business librarian.

While there has been a consistent call for more business education in library school over the decades (Kendrick, 1990; Liu & Allen, 2001; White, 2005), there seems to be an even more pressing need now, as only 34% of respondents felt prepared for their first business librarian position. One respondent stated, “Exposure to business resources during graduate school would be helpful to almost all library students… So many librarians are scared of business, that stigma needs to go!” Unlike the past few decades, there are fewer corporate information positions (strategy, marketing, research and development) to transition from into academic business librarianship roles. Moreover, this survey comment points to a compensation issue that might be in play as well: “We could not find anyone willing to take a regular academic librarian salary to specialize in business.” This quote seems to suggest that current salary levels are too low to attract those with formal business training and supports the notion that more outreach to and connection with business school students could increase awareness of librarianship as a career option.

With respect to previous work experience and career paths, the notion of the “accidental business librarian” still rings true. Most respondents in this survey indicated working in a different type of librarian role or entirely different field before becoming a business librarian, although there seems to be fewer “career changers” from different fields than in previous studies (Hines & Baker, 2008). Current business librarians often assume the role without business backgrounds due to organizational necessity.

In exploring the professional development of current business librarians, our survey posed questions about continuing education, on-the-job training, mentoring and membership in professional associations. Most respondents received additional education and training in business research while on the job, and the list of offerings cited as beneficial was robust. This could explain why business librarians report a high level of career satisfaction despite feeling unprepared for it initially. Both authors have fond memories of building strong networks and developing new skills via associations such as SLA. That SLA’s membership shrunk in recent years and has now merged with ASIS&T could be a sign of renewal. We look forward to seeing how business topics are highlighted in the new association and encourage business professionals to become active at this ground level moment. ALA-BRASS remains a strong community with an established network and robust programming, and there are emerging regional conferences as well. Needless to say, our professional networks and associations are in a state of flux, requiring continued engagement and support from experienced and new business librarians alike.

With respect to mentoring, the majority of respondents reported having a formal or informal mentor, while a large minority (48%) did not. This may be related to one study which reported many respondents with unsatisfactory formal mentoring program experiences available through professional associations (Garrison & Cramer, 2021). With respect to professional associations, the vast majority of business librarians still belong to one, however, the numbers may be slipping. There also appears to be an upward trend in the emergence of and participation in regional associations, as mentioned earlier. These trends suggest a need for more robust mentoring and peer support within the field. Finally, despite these challenges, it must be noted that the vast majority of respondents reported they were satisfied with the career of academic business librarianship, plan to continue working in the field for the next five years and they would recommend the academic business librarianship as a career to a friend or colleague. This encouraging finding suggests that most people find academic business librarianship to be a rewarding and fulfilling career – regardless of the paths taken to land a position or the challenges faced on the job.

Ultimately, a business librarian career is varied and can be very rewarding. No two business librarians have followed the same path, had the same training, or taken advantage of the same opportunities. There is a freedom to succeed on one’s own terms, as this survey response summed up well: “You don’t have to have a business degree or background to work as a business librarian. Curiosity, a willingness to learn and to network, those are what’s needed.” Our preliminary exploration of the current state of business librarianship suggests that there are opportunities to develop and provide more educational offerings (both in graduate schools and on the job), to increase awareness of business librarianship and to develop mentoring programs outside traditional avenues. These efforts could help with the pipeline issues that spurred our investigation. Finally, there is an increased urgency for taking action in these areas as external pressures have increased since the original survey was conducted. AI, budget constraints and higher education policy changes at the national level as well as changing perceptions of the value of subject expertise affect both our current work but also the ability to attract and retain people to business librarianship.

Further Study

While this study provided insights into certain aspects of academic business librarianship, several areas warrant further exploration and updating. These include the current state of business education within library and information sciences graduate schools as well as the general positioning of subject expertise within these same programs. Anecdotally, many current students are not aware of subject specialization as a career option within the field, much less business-specific careers. With respect to career paths, there were fewer respondents from corporate or special library backgrounds in this survey as well as fewer reporting a career change to academic from corporate backgrounds. Further exploration of those business librarians now working in the corporate sector might reveal ways to reconnect with this traditionally important talent pool. The state of mentoring within academic business librarianship also warrants research given a large minority of respondents without mentors. An updated and in-depth exploration of employee engagement and burnout might yield a more nuanced understanding of academic business librarians’ career satisfaction beyond the two questions posed in this survey. Finally, the emerging trend of increased involvement in smaller regional conferences presents an intriguing development, the implications of which are yet to be determined.

It must also be stated that since the start of this study, higher education and its academic libraries have experienced unprecedented pressures and changes. As campus budgets tighten, many universities are undergoing widespread structural changes. This evolution has caused libraries to strive for efficiencies in unexpected ways and to consolidate services for maximum effect. The future of subject librarianship is uncertain as more institutions move to generalist service models and consider AI’s impact. This study did not gather funding information; future research could address the impact of funding on the business librarian. We also do not know which respondents work in libraries that report through library administration or directly to business school leadership. This distinction typically matters, with more freedom and support often afforded to those affiliated with but not within the library’s organizational structure. It also matters which unit pays business librarian salaries and/or for business collections (or supplements central library funding). All seem ripe for further investigation given the current environment.