This can be a tricky situation. I will begin by saying don’t be discouraged from applying for tenure-track positions again because each institution and each library is different. Tenure requirements are always changing and depend largely on the library director and the provost/president.

If you apply for another tenure-track position, make sure you are clear about what is required of you. Some places are very strict (need to publish in peer-reviewed LIS publications, need second masters) and others are informal (do not need second masters, any form of publishing or presenting is fine). I realize that you won’t really know all that much about the tenure requirements of a specific position until you interview for the position. So, go ahead and apply, then worry about meeting those requirements once you get to the interview stage. If you know that you cannot meet the requirements, or are unwilling to meet the requirements, then you might not want to pursue the position.

As for telling prospective employers about being “let go” from your last position – you need to be honest and to try to turn it into a positive. Make it work in your favor by stating that yes, you did not meet the tenure requirements of your last position, but you also feel that it is time for you to move on anyway, into a new role in a different institution. If you haven’t already done so, convince yourself it is for the best and you need to move on. The biggest problem I see, as an employer, is a lack of motivation to meet the requirements. I don't know your specific situation (and as I said before, each library and institution is different), so I cannot speak to it, but see if you can come up with a good explanation as to why you did not meet the requirements, without being negative. This is the real tricky part.

I know several people who left positions just before they went up for tenure because they were unhappy with the way the tenure requirements had changed (and probably wanted to get out before not getting tenure). It is normal in academic libraries, so don’t feel isolated or demoralized, and try not to take it personally. I have interviewed people -- fine candidates with great experience -- who were jobless because of not getting tenure. In the search committee’s eyes, this did not affect their chances of being considered for the open position. It is just a fact of life for tenure-track academic librarians. So… get out there and apply for positions and use your experience and knowledge of the tenure process to find a new and better position.


Best of luck!

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Susanne Markgren
Digital Services Librarian
Purchase College, SUNY

You do not put potential negatives in a cover letter. A cover letter show express interest in the job and how you fulfill their need.

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Brian C. Gray
Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian
Kelvin Smith Library
Case Western Reserve University
http://blog.case.edu/bcg8
bcg8@case.edu