sept07b.indd


ACRL
standards
&
guidelines



Standards for faculty status 
for college and university librarians 
Approved at ALA Annual Conference, June 2007 
Prepared by the ACRL Committee on the Status of Academic Librarians 

In order to recognize formally the importance of 

faculty status for academic librarians, ACRL endorses 

these standards. Institutions of higher education and 

their governing bodies are urged to adopt these 

standards. 

To implement these standards, ACRL shall: 

•  publicize these standards to college and univer­

sity administrators and governing bodies, academic 

libraries, library education programs, library organiza­

tions, and agencies that accredit institutions, and 

•  seek to have these standards formally adopted or 

endorsed by the appropriate groups listed above. 

The academic librarian makes unique contribu­

tions to the academic community and to higher edu­

cation itself. These contributions include developing 

collections, providing bibliographic access to all library 

materials, and interpreting these materials to members 

of the college and university community. 

Specific services include instruction in the use of 

print and online library resources and the creation of 

new tools to enhance access to information available 

locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. 

Librarians contribute to the sum of knowledge 

through their research into the information process 

and other areas of study. Service improvements and 

other advances in the field result from their participa­

tion in library and other scholarly organizations. 

1. Professional responsibilities. Librarians must 

be able to exercise independent judgment in the per­

formance of professional duties. There must be a regu­

lar and rigorous review of their performance based on 

a stated set of institutional criteria. A necessary element 

of this review is appraisal by a committee of peers who 

have evidence pertaining to the performance, service, 

and scholarship of those being evaluated, subject to 

appropriate institutional policy. 

2. Library governance. College and university 

librarians should adopt an academic form of gover­

nance similar in manner and structure to other faculties 

on the campus. 

3. College and university governance. Librar­

ians should be eligible for membership in the faculty 

senate or equivalent governing body. They should 

have the same degree of representation as other 

academic units on all college or university govern­

ing bodies. 

4. Compensation. Salaries and fringe benefi ts 

should be comparable to and within the range of 

those paid to faculty of equivalent rank. Salary scales 

should be adjusted in an equitable manner to contract 

period. All librarians should have written contracts or 

agreements consistent with institutional policy. 

5. Tenure. Librarians should be covered by a 

stated tenure policy. 

6. Promotion. Librarians should be promoted 

in rank based on their professional profi ciency and 

effectiveness (performance, service, and scholarship) 

consistent with stated campus standards. The peer 

review system should be an integral part of procedures 

for promotion. 

7. Leaves and research funds. Sabbatical and 

other research leaves should be available to librarians 

consistent with campus standards. Librarians should 

have access to funding for research projects and 

professional development consistent with campus 

standards. 

8. Academic freedom. Librarians must have the 

same protection of academic freedom as all other fac­

ulty. Censorship of any type is unacceptable whether 

individual or organizational. All librarians must be 

free to provide access to information regardless of 

content. 

C&RL News September 2007  530