September 30, 2005

Should Librarians Get Tenure? No, It Can Hamper Their Roles

By DEBORAH A. CARVER

Many of the arguments made on behalf of giving tenure to librarians are, in fact, arguments for academic status. I have no objections to academic status for librarians, which usually means they are more involved in their institution's governance, more inclined to participate in core academic activities like curriculum reform and course development, and more engaged in professional development.

However, those benefits can exist without librarians' earning tenure. The issue of tenure