june07b.indd


ACRL standards & guidelines 

Guidelines for academic status for 
college and university librarians 
Approved by the ACRL Board, January 23, 2007 
by the ACRL Committee on the Status of Academic Librarians 

In 1971 ACRL adopted the ACRL “Standards for Faculty Status of College and University 
Librarians” (revised 2001). ACRL supports 
faculty rank, status, and tenure for librarians 
and has developed the following documents 
in support of this concept: 

1. ACRL “Guidelines and Procedures 
for Screening and Appointment of Aca­
demic Librarians” (1977); currently under 
revision. 

2. ACRL/AAUP/AAC “Joint Statement on 
Faculty Status of College and University Librar­
ians” (1972); currently under revision. 

3. ACRL “Model Statement of Criteria and 
Procedures for Appointment, Promotion in 
Academic Rank, and Tenure for College and 
University Librarians” (2004). 

ACRL also has developed the following 
guidelines for academic librarians without fac­
ulty status to ensure that their rights, privileges, 

and responsibilities reflect their integral role 
in the mission of their institutions. 

1. Pr ofessional r esponsibilities. L i ­
brarians should be assigned responsibilities 
matched to their educational competencies 
and the needs of the institution. They should 
have maximum latitude in fulfilling their 
responsibilities. Supervisory personnel and 
peers should regularly and vigorously review 
their performance. Review standards and pro­
cedures should be published and uniformly 
applied; reviewers should have access to all 
appropriate documentation. 

2. Gover nance. The library exists to 
support the teaching, research, and service 
functions of the institution. Thus librarians 
should also participate in the development 
of the institution’s mission, curriculum, and 
governance. Librarians should participate in 
the development of policies and procedures 

About the guidelines 

The Committee on the Status of Academic 
Librarians conducted the standard fi ve­year 
review of the 2002 document, “Guidelines 
for Academic Status of College and University 
Librarians.” Since only editorial changes were 
made, the committee received approval to use 
the “expedited review” provisions of the ACRL 
Guide to Policies and Procedures (section 14.9). 
The committee posted a draft guidelines docu­
ment to appropriate electronic discussion lists 
for comment from the ACRL membership. 

At the 2007 ALA Midwinter Meeting, the 
ACRL Standards and Accreditation Committee 
reviewed the draft, considered any comments 
submitted, and approved the fi nal version, 

which was submitted to the ACRL Board of 
Directors.The Board approved the document 
at the Midwinter Meeting. 

Members of the Committee on the Status 
of Academic Librarians are Carolyn H. Allen, 
chair, University of Arkansas Libraries; Toni 
Anaya, University of Arizona; Kim L. Eccles, 
Mercer University; Elizabeth A. Kocevar­Wei­
dinger, Longwood University; Amy E. Mark, 
University of Mississippi; Ravindra N. Sharma, 
Monmouth University; James K.Teliha, Univer­
sity of Rhode Island Library; Lisa M.Williams, 
University of North Carolina­Wilmington; 
and Rebecca L. Ziegler, Georgia Southern 
University. 

378C&RL News June 2007



for their library, including the hiring, review, 
retention, and continuing appointment of 
their peers. 

3. Contracts. A librarian should be ap­
pointed by a written contract of no less than 
one year. The contract should state the terms 
and conditions of service and grant security 
of employment for the contractual period. 
After a period of no longer than seven years 
and through a process that includes peer re­
view, librarians should be granted continuing 
employment if they have met the appropriate 
conditions and standards. 

4. Compensation. The salary scale 
and benefits for librarians should be the 
same as for other academic categories 
with equivalent education, experience, or 
responsibility. 

5 .  P r o m o t i o n  a n d  s a l a r y  i n c r ea s es .  
Librarians should be promoted through ranks 
on the basis of their professional profi ciency 
and effectiveness. Procedures for promotion 
and salary increases should include a peer re­
view. Librarians should have ranks equivalent 
to those of the faculty. 

6. Leaves and research funds. Librarians 
should be eligible for internal and external 
research funds, leaves of absence, sabbaticals, 
and other means of administrative support to 
promote their active participation in research 
and other professional activities. 

7. Academic freedom. Librarians are en­
titled to the protection of academic freedom as 
set forth in the American Association of Uni­
versity Professors 1940 “Statement of Principles 
on Academic Freedom and Tenure.” 

8 .  D i s m i s s a l  o r  n o n r e a p p o i n t m e n t .  
The institution may dismiss a librarian during 
the contractual period only for just cause and 
through academic due process. Nonreappoint­
ment should involve adequate notice, peer re­
view, and access to a grievance procedure. 

9. Grievance. Librarians should have ac­
cess to grievance procedures. These should 
include formal steps to be completed within 
specified time limits and effective safeguards 
against reprisal by the institution, or abuse of 
the procedures by the grievant. They must be 
consistent with applicable institutional regula­
tions and contracts. 

June 2007  379 C&RL News