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Rank: Member
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Joined: 2/24/2009
Posts: 11
Points: -64
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I am looking for another job and I have had several good tips and also advice from senior colleagues. Some of my colleagues informed me that the ranking of the school and the ARL status of the library matter in the field of academic librarianship. I am a little concerned about this issue. Currently, I work at an ARL library and my institution is one the top tier schools in the country. If I accept a job offer from a non-ARL library (in a third or fourth tier institution), would that affect my future career chances? Would this make it difficult for me to apply for work at another ARL library (in a first or second tier institution) several years later? How much does ranking and ARL status matter in the field of academic librarianship?
Thanks in advance for your input/advice.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Job Hunting Tips - Moderator
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Joined: 1/4/2008
Posts: 103
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Location: Cairo, Egypt
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Wow, this is really interesting. I don't think I'd worry too much about this. I suppose there can be a bias towards librarians from other large research libraries, but I can't imagine the ARL institutions I've worked dismissing outright librarians who have experience in a college or university library that's not an ARL school.
It's not uncommon, after all, for people to work their way up from smaller libraries to bigger ones.
I worked at Duke and, while at student, at UNC libraries. I never heard this expressed out loud, certainly.
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Rank: Member
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Joined: 2/24/2009
Posts: 11
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Thanks so much, Joan! It is a huge relief to know that ranking/tier doesn't matter. Otherwise, moving to another job for personal reasons would be difficult given the current economic situation.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Job Hunting Tips - Moderator
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Joined: 1/4/2008
Posts: 103
Points: 309
Location: Cairo, Egypt
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I asked a couple of friends about this, and a colleague told me that this issue did come up once in a discussion about potential candidates for a senior level position.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Management - Moderator
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Joined: 1/2/2008
Posts: 348
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Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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It does not matter. There always will be some people with a bias, but you cannot do anything about that. I have heard some in smaller libraries say "that person from an ARL library would not like it here" or an ARL person say "that person does not have the type of experience we want here". In reality, it is how you sell yourself so the bias never comes into play.
Brian C. Gray Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian Kelvin Smith Library Case Western Reserve University http://blog.case.edu/bcg8bcg8@case.edu
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