ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


220 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 2004

STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES

A guideline for the screening and appointment 

of academic librarians using a search committee

The final version

by th e  Co m m ittee  on th e  Status o f A cad e m ic Lib rarian s

I. P e r so n n e l o ffic e r
The role o f the personnel officer, if there is one, is 
to administer the search for the search committee. 
The personnel officer may serve as a regular or 
ex-offlcio member of all search committees.

II. F o r m a tio n  o f  s e a rc h  c o m m it te e s
The primary goal in the formation of a search com­
mittee, elected or appointed, should be to create a 
body representative of the constituencies affected 
by the position. Persons accepting appointment to 
the committee disqualify themselves as candidates 
for the position.

The administrator to whom the committee re­
ports should give the following written information 
at the first meeting:

1. approximate date for submission o f a list of 
nominees and proposed date of appointment;

2. number of finalists to be recommended;
3. affirmative action/equal opportunity require­

ments;
4. arrangements for payments, reimbursements, 

and clerical assistance;
5. standards for documenting committee actions 

and preserving those records;
6. importance of confidentiality and discretion;
7. concerns specific to the position; and
8. copy of the position description.

III. D e ve lopm en t and use o f the 
p osition d escriptio n  or p osition 
announcement
At the outset o f the search, the supervisor of the 
position should write (or approve) a position de­
scription with equal opportunity and affirmative ac­
tion considerations in mind. The description should 
serve as the standard against which the candidates are 
judged. It should list the responsibilities of the po­

sition in detail and describe the education, experi­
ence, and competencies that are required, preferred, 
and desired of candidates.

IV. P o stin g the p osition
The library should advertise the position within the 
campus community and in appropriate regional and 
national publications, taking care to notify all poten­
tial groups of candidates protected by equal oppor­
tunity/affirmative action legislation. The advertise­
ment should include a brief description o f the re­
sponsibilities, qualifications, salary, and other ben­
efits. It should also specify the date the position is 
available, application deadline, name of the person 
to whom to submit applications, and a list of items 
each candidate must submit. The library should ad­
vertise in print publications, on electronic discus­
sion lists, and on the Web; it may consider using 
placement centers.

V. References
The search committee should solicit references only 
for qualified candidates under active consideration 
and from the list supplied by the candidate. The search 
committee may only contact additional referees with 
a candidate’s permission. The search committee must 
hold all references in strict confidence and should 
advise each referee what information will be made 
available to the candidate in accordance with local 
practice. Each candidate should list only referees who 
can provide substantive information about his or her 
professional qualifications and should also list an ad­
ministrator in the direct reporting line.

VI. Selection, in terview , and 
ad m in istrative  procedures

A Selectionprocedures
Each committee should screen and evaluate ap­



C&RL News • A p ril 2 0 0 4  /  221

plicants according to library and institution-wide poli­
cies. All applications will undergo an initial screening for 
compliance with the qualifications and requirements stated 
in the position description. Unqualified candidates will 
not receive further consideration.

Fair, objective, and consistent procedures should 
be used to narrow the field of candidates to the 
desired number of finalists, whom the committee 
will invite for interviews. The search committee 
should be aware of institutional guidelines and all 
applicable laws when developing questions to ask 
the candidates selected for interviews.

B. In terv iew p roced u res
The committee and the appropriate administra­

tive officer shall determine the interview agenda. All 
parties should adhere to this schedule in the interest 
of time and fairness.

Candidates invited for an interview should re­
ceive a copy of the interview schedule and informa­
tion about the library and its parent organization in 
advance of the interview. Such information could 
include guides to the library, promotion and tenure 
guidelines, organizational charts, and by-laws.

The expenses of travel, meals, and lodging for 
the candidates should be borne by the inviting in­
stitution whether the interviews are held on or off 
campus. When this is not the practice, the candi­
date should be so apprised when an invitation is 
issued.

( “ACRL h on o rs… ” c ont i nue d fr o m  p a g e  2 1 9 ) 
chosen to receive the CJCLS/EBSCO Community 
College Learning Resources Program Achievement 
Award for the developm ent o f P roject LEAD 
(Librarians Entering A new Dimension). Both in­
stitutions are part o f the North Harris Montgom­
ery Community College District.

“Through the development o f Project LEAD, 
Dr. Peyton and Ms. Beers have created an impres­
sive program o f professional development for li­
brarians and library paraprofessionals,” said Asch. 
“The committee was particularly impressed with 
the outreach to paraprofessionals, the emphasis 
on  current topics such as distance learning, and 
the depth o f content.”

A citation and $500, donated by EBSCO In­
formation Services, will b e  presented to each re­
cipient during the ALA Annual Conference at the 
CJCLS Membership Meeting, Saturday, Ju n e 26, 
2004, at 8 :30 a.m.

Z a p o r o z h e t z  n a m e d  EB S S  
D is t in g u is h e d  L ib ra ria n
Laurene E. Zaporozhetz, dean o f university li­
braries at Murray State University, has b een cho­

If a presentation is required o f the candi­
dates, that requirement should be clearly com­
municated to each candidate when the interview 
is first scheduled.

C. A dm inistrative p ro ced u res
The responsible administrator should instruct 

the com m ittee chairperson in the prompt and 
accurate completion o f all search-related reports. 
Sensitive files relating to the search should be 
treated in accordance with laws, regulations, and 
local practices.

VII. Co m m un icatio ns w ith  candidates
A. Su ccessfu l ca n d id a te
Only the proper administrator should con ­

tact the successful candidate after the interview. 
The initial notification of selection may be oral, 
but the official offer should b e in writing and 
should include the specific terms o f em ploy­
ment.

B. U nsuccessful can d id ates
A letter should be sent to all unsuccessful appli­

cants thanking them for their interest and indicating 
that the search has concluded. Special acknowledge­
ment should be accorded all interviewees.

C. M iscellan eou s
All active candidates should be notified if 

the d ecision is m ade to clo se or extend  the 
s e a r c h . ■

sen  to receive the 2004 ACRL/EBSS Distin­
guished Education and Behavioral Sciences Li­
brarian Award.

“T o quote from a nom ination letter, ‘Dr. 
Zaporozhetz has contributed to the education and 
behavioral sciences in ser­
vice to the profession 
(b o th  librarianship and 
education) by developing 
and teaching courses, by 
completing research with 
p u b lic a tio n s  in b o th  
librarianship and educa­
tion, by being active in ac­
creditation (both  SACS 
and NCATE), and in serv­ La u re n e  Z a p o ro z h e tz
ing in positions with in­
creasing administrative responsibility within librar­
ies and always remembering that an importance 
role o f a library is to edu cate,’” said committee 
chair Charles Thurston.

A prize o f $1,000 and a plaque, donated by 
Jo h n  Wiley & Sons, Inc., will be presented to 
Zaporozhetz during the ALA Annual Conference at 
the EBSS Program, Saturday, June 26, at 1:30 p.m. ■