2001 Survey Results
An abridged version of the following article appeared in California Libraries February 2002 (Vol. 12 No. 2)
Background
The purpose of this survey was to identify problems or issues that the California Library Association (CLA) might address. Respondents were asked to check off up to three statements that were the most important to them as library workers or supporters. Every member of CLA was sent a survey along with the 2001/2002 election ballot.
A total 723 surveys were returned. Of these, 39 were disqualified due to multiple (i.e., more than three) responses. Therefore, only 684 surveys were tabulated, producing a total of 1,863 valid responses.
Analysis
The single largest group to respond to the survey were people who have at least one master's degree (n=528). Public library workers were the second largest group of respondents (n=379). Most of the respondents began their careers between 1960 and 1989 (n=442).
Overall, the two most important issues marked by all groups were:
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (n=333); and
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education and comparable working conditions and job demands (n=309).
Although designation of the third most important issue differed from group to group, as a whole the respondents chose the following as their third priority:
- All library staff need constant training opportunities and continuing education (n=267).
It is important to note, however, that for associate/assistant head librarians, system administrators, middle managers, reference librarians, children's/young adult librarians, technical services librarians, library trustees, and paraprofessionals, the third most significant issue was:
- Citizens, including patrons, elected officials, and most people with power, often don't understand or value what library staff do.
This concern over others' lack of understanding of the profession was also the third priority of those who work in school libraries, four year colleges/universities, library systems, and community colleges. It was the single most significant concern of those who work in public and special libraries; have a master's degree; and started their library careers in the 1960s, å70s and 2000/01.
A tabulation of the total responses, plus respondent demographics, follows. An overview of the top three priorities of each group is also included.
Cindy Mediavilla, CLA Immediate Past President
January 30, 2002
Data Tabulation
| Total Survey Responses | ||
|---|---|---|
| # of Responses | Percentage | Question |
| 333 | 18% | Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded. |
| 309 | 17% | Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education and comparable working conditions and job demands. |
| 267 | 14% | All library staff need constant training opportunities and continuing education. |
| 247 | 13% | Citizens, including patrons, elected officials, and most people with power, often don't understand or value what library staff do. |
| 202 | 11% | Recruiting people to library work is getting harder all the time. |
| 193 | 10% | School libraries, school librarians, and school library staff have been cut to the bone. |
| 143 | 8% | Libraries of all types are left out of the loop when solutions to community or institutional problems are sought. |
| 114 | 6% | Support staff need training, career ladders, and acknowledgement of the crucial nature of their work. |
| 55 | 3% | Many libraries don't adequately meet the needs of ethnic populations. |
| Respondent Demographics: Position | ||
|---|---|---|
| # of Respondents | Percentage | Position |
| 124 | 20% | Head librarian/director |
| 104 | 17% | Reference services librarian |
| 63 | 10% | Middle managers (e.g., dept. heads, branch managers, etc.) |
| 57 | 9% | Children's/young adult librarians |
| 55 | 9% | Associate/assistant head librarian |
| 45 | 7% | Retired |
| 37 | 6% | Technical Services librarians |
| 28 | 4% | Library trustee, board member or friend |
| 25 | 3% | System administrator/staff |
| 15 | 2% | Paraprofessionals/support staff |
| 15 | 2% | Library media teachers/school librarians |
| 15 | 2% | Literacy services staff |
| 12 | 2% | Library educators |
| 12 | 2% | Library vendors/consultants |
| 11 | 2% | Students |
| 7 | 1% | Volunteers |
| 7 | 1% | Public/community relations |
| 7 | 1% | Instruction librarians |
| 2 | Unemployed | |
| Respondent Demographics: Workplace | ||
|---|---|---|
| # of Respondents | Percentage | Workplace |
| 379 | 63% | Public library |
| 71 | 12% | 4 year college/university |
| 43 | 7% | School library/media center |
| 39 | 6% | Community college |
| 28 | 5% | Library system |
| 22 | 4% | Governmental agency |
| 11 | 2% | Special library |
| 6 | 1% | Library science school/dept. |
| 3 | Law library | |
| 2 | Non-profit library | |
| 2 | Independent/private company | |
| 1 | Non-library setting | |
| Respondent Demographics: Level of Education | ||
|---|---|---|
| # of Respondents | Percentage | Level of Education |
| 393 | 64% | Master's degree |
| 135 | 22% | More than a master's degree |
| 51 | 8% | College undergraduate degree |
| 21 | 3% | Doctorate |
| 6 | 2 year college/associate degree | |
| 2 | High school diploma | |
| 11 | 2% | Other |
| Respondent Demographics: First Year in Libraries | ||
|---|---|---|
| # of Respondents | Percentage | Year in Libraries |
| 3 | 1930s | |
| 7 | 1% | 1940s |
| 16 | 3% | 1950s |
| 119 | 21% | 1960s |
| 208 | 36% | 1970s |
| 115 | 21% | 1980s |
| 99 | 17% | 1990s |
| 10 | 2% | 2000s |
Most Significant Concerns: By Group*
Responses by Position
Head librarian/director (n=288):
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (21%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (20%)
- Recruiting people to library work is getting harder all the time(16%)
Reference librarians (n=280):
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (19%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (17%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (16%)
Middle managers (n=166):
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (23%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (17%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (15%)
Associate/assistant head librarian (n=150):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (21%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (15%)
- Recruiting people to library work is getting harder all the time (15%)
- All library staff need constant training opportunities and continuing education (15%)
Retired librarians (n=110):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (19%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (17%)
- School libraries...have been cut to the bone (15%)
Children's librarians (n=108):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (23%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (19%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (18%)
*Tallies represent number of responses in each category, not number of people who responded.Each person could respond up to three times.
Technical services staff (n=104):
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (18%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (18%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (16%)
System administrators (n=72):
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (21%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (17%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (17%)
Trustees (n=69):
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (23%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (21%)
- School libraries...have been cut to the bone (14%)
Paraprofessionals (n=40):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (22%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (20%)
- Support staff need training, etc... (17%)
Literacy workers (n=33):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (15%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (12%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (12%)
Consultants (n=24):
- All library staff need...continuing education (29%)
- Recruiting people...is getting harder all the time (21%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (17%)
Library school students (n=23):
- All library staff need...continuing education (26%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (22%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (17%)
Library educators (n=21):
- All library staff need...continuing education (24%)
- School libraries...have been cut to the bone (24%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (14%)
Young adult librarians (n=13):
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (23%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (23%)
- School libraries...have been cut to the bone (15%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (15%)
Responses by Library Type
Public library (n=1032):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (19%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (18%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (17%)
Four year college (n=193):
- All library staff need...continuing education (17%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (15%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (15%)
Community college (n=109):
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (20%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (16%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (14%)
School library (n=83):
- School libraries...have been cut to the bone (37%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (22%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (19%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (19%)
Library system (n=66):
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (21%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (20%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (20%)
Government agency (n=52):
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (19%)
- Libraries of all types are left out of the loop... (17%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (13%)
Special library (n=33):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (27%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (21%)
Responses by Years in the Profession
Started in 1930s (n=9):
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (33%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (22%)
Started in 1940s (n=19):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (26%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (16%)
- School libraries...have been cut to the bone (16%)
Started in 1950s (n=43):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (16%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (16%)
- School libraries...have been cut to the bone (16%)
Started in 1960s (n=345):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (17%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (15%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (14%)
Started in 1970s (n=600):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (17%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (16%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (15%)
Started in 1980s (n=328):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (19%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (18%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (15%)
Started in 1990s (n=270):
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (20%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (19%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (18%)
Started in 2000s (n=26):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (23%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (23%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (15%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (15%)
Responses by Level of Education
Masters degree (n=1174):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (17%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (16%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (14%)
More than a masters degree (n=369):
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (16%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (16%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (16%)
College undergraduate degree (n=152):
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (19%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (18%)
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (18%)
Doctorate (n=59):
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (15%)
- Libraries...are left out of the loop... (15%)
- Citizens...don't understand or value what library staff do (14%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (14%)
2 year college/associate degree (n=18):
- Most libraries, no matter what type, are under funded (28%)
- Library staff and librarians are paid less than people with equal education... (17%)
- All library staff need...continuing education (17%)