Measuring Person–Job Fit and Career Paths of Distance Learning Librarians

While person–job fit has been used to determine satisfaction in many professions, no research has been done among distance learning librarians. This study investigates person–job fit among librarians with primary distance learning responsibility compared to librarians with some distance learning responsibility and examines whether a common career path exists among the two groups. Responses indicate that librarians who work primarily in distance learning perceive a slightly better fit with their positions and the work itself while those with some distance learning responsibility experience a slightly better fit within their library organizations. Career advancement is a common motivator for both groups

Go Research! Building an Information Literacy Tool that Bridges the Gap

With the increase in online learning, identifying new ways to develop the information literacy skills of distance learners is paramount. Developing a research question, selecting resources, searching databases, refining search results, getting full text, and citing sources in the online environment can be especially challenging for nontraditional learners who may not have the same digital know-how as traditional students or digital natives. Global Campus librarians at Central Michigan University (CMU) travel to CMU’s remote centers to provide information literacy instruction for core research courses. But how do they reach everyone, including students taking classes online? Because distance students are typically expected to explore resources and manage assignments independently, Global Campus Library Services (GCLS) librarians developed a self-paced, interactive tutorial to help them develop the basic research skills needed to be successful in their coursework. All CMU students can access the LibGuides-based Go Research! tutorial online to assess what they already know, interact with multimedia tools and resources that foster specific information literacy skills, and evaluate their own learning outcomes. To promote its use, GCLS librarians incorporate the tutorial into ongoing library instruction, and work with selected faculty to integrate the tutorial into research-intensive classes. This presentation describes the collaborative planning, design, implementation and evaluation of this information literacy tutorial, and discusses how its content and use have been modified over time to facilitate flipped classroom instruction and better meet the needs of online students and faculty

Measuring Job-Fit and Career Paths of Distance Learning Lirbrarians

While person-job fit has been used to determine satisfaction in many professions, no research has been done among distance learning (DL) librarians. This study explores that concept by investigating person-job fit among librarians with primary DL responsibility compared to librarians with partial DL responsibility and whether a common career path exists among the two groups. Responses appear to suggest that DL librarians perceive a strong compatibility between their needs and desires and their jobs while both groups indicate that career advancement has been the primary factor concerning career path decisions. This collection hosts the data associated with the submission of the manuscript submitted to Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning

Measuring Job-Fit and Career Paths of Distance Learning Lirbrarians

While person-job fit has been used to determine satisfaction in many professions, no research has been done among distance learning (DL) librarians. This study explores that concept by investigating person-job fit among librarians with primary DL responsibility compared to librarians with partial DL responsibility and whether a common career path exists among the two groups. Responses appear to suggest that DL librarians perceive a strong compatibility between their needs and desires and their jobs while both groups indicate that career advancement has been the primary factor concerning career path decisions. This collection hosts the data associated with the submission of the manuscript submitted to Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning

Does Your Library Fit? Exploring Career Paths and Perceptions of Person-Job Fit among Distance Librarians

In a survey conducted in 2018, exploring the perception of person-job fit and career paths among distance learning librarians, researchers drew some interesting conclusions. Study participants, who identified primarily as distance learning librarians, perceived a stronger fit between their skills and education with the job itself, but did not fit as well within their organizations. Those with some distance learning responsibility reported a stronger fit with their organization but did not see their skills and education matching the job quite as well. A majority of participants from both categories indicated that they accepted their current job as a means of advancing their careers. These findings raise questions that might have some interesting implications for the recruitment and retention of distance and online librarians. The researchers will delve further into these conclusions through a series of personal interviews with survey respondents who indicated a willingness to participate in a follow-up study. They will conduct the interviews via a WebEx room in early 2020 and conduct a content analysis of the transcripts to find answers to the following questions. How do distance learning librarians perceive their roles within their libraries? Why do librarians accept positions dedicated primarily to the support of distance or online programs? Is distance learning librarianship a path to library administration? Do DL librarians perceive a better fit with their work than with their organizations? As academic libraries grow to meet the evolving needs of higher education, librarians who support distributed learning may be in higher demand. Exploring the ways distance learning librarians fit with their job duties and within their organizations may provide valuable insights into best practices for recruitment and retention. This presentation will explore further the concept of person-job fit of distance learning librarians and offer results that may inform human resource administration in academic libraries

Measuring Person–Job Fit and Career Paths of Distance Learning Librarians

While person–job fit has been used to determine satisfaction in many professions, no research has been done among distance learning librarians. This study investigates person–job fit among librarians with primary distance learning responsibility compared to librarians with some distance learning responsibility and examines whether a common career path exists among the two groups. Responses indicate that librarians who work primarily in distance learning perceive a slightly better fit with their positions and the work itself while those with some distance learning responsibility experience a slightly better fit within their library organizations. Career advancement is a common motivator for both groups