College and Research Libraries 346 I College & Research Libraries • July 1982 MEL WESTERMAN Salary Comparisons between Academic Librarians and Instructional Faculty INTRODUCTION The faculty status of librarians in institu- tions of higher education is often discussed in t~rms of the responsibilities, privileges, bene- fits, and compensations of instructional fac- ulty. Salaries have been compared in a vari- ety of ways and at a number of levels. One popular basis for analyses of salaries has been the responses to questionnaires mailed by re- searchers. These analyses are constrained by the objectives and funds of the researchers and the quality and quantity of the re- sponses. A method of statistical analysis of salaries on a national scope is needed as a standard basis for comparison. Salaries of librarians at institutions of higher education have been surveyed and re- viewed many times. Because each survey has its own objectives and methods of compila- tion and analysis, comparisons between sur- veys become problematical. Problems be- come more perplexing when comparisons between librarians and instructional faculty are attempted. The publication of salary comparisons between academic librarians and instructional faculty by Anita R. Schil- ler1 in 1969 and the results of the happenings at the Atlantic City Annual Conference of the. ~me~ican Library Association that year legttlmatlzed comparisons between the sala- ries of these two professions. The "Standards fo.r Fa~ulty .~tatus for College and University Ltbranans, 2 adopted by the membership of the ACRL in 1971, states: "The salary scale for librarians should be the same as that for other academic categories with equivalent education and experience. "3 In his review of the "progress toward fac- ulty status" between 1969 and 1979, R. Dean Galloway "sought opinions from librarians who had been involved in the faculty status Mel Westerman is a senior assistant reference li- brarian specializing in business , and a masters- degree candidate in public administration, Uni- ver~ity Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, Unwersity Park. movement at Atlantic City." He also cites a number of studies, reviews librarians' quali- fications and collective bargaining, and briefly touches on salaries and other bene- fits. 4 His comments on salaries are only sum- mary in nature, but he mentions a source for data that has the potential to develop, by sta- tistical techniques, into valid comparisons between librarian and instructional faculty salaries. The salary data cited by Galloway are re- ported by the American Association of Uni- versity Professors (AAUP). The AAUP data are national in scope, a scope sufficiently broad for the analyses of statistical associa- tions. This scope overcomes much of the per- plexities of analyses based on various surveys that have different objectives and methods of compilation. The data avoid the unresolved issues of the meanings of faculty status for librarians and the "equivalent education and experience" called for in the ACRL "Standards." Aca- demic librarians are compared with aca- demic instructional faculty on an equivalent basis. The data in the format presented by the AAUP can be transformed for compari- son purposes. The AAUP also uses the same data in comparisons of instructional faculty salaries to other salary scales, such as that of government service. METHOD The AA UP tabulations for instructional faculty salaries were based on data for 2 652 institutions of higher education. They ~ere weighted average salaries for full-time fac- ulty on a standard academic-year basis for 1977-78. 5 They were from the 1977-78 "An- nual Report of Committee Z on the Eco- nomic Status of the Profession," compiled by Maryse Eymonerie, (then) associate secre- tary for research of the AA UP. The data were originally collected by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) through their Higher Education General Information Survey (HE GIS XII). a The AAUP tabulations for librarians were based on data for 1,557 institutions. They were weighted average salaries for full-time library staff on a twelve-month basis for 1977-78 prepared by the AAUP Committee Z Washington Office staff from a data tape obtained from the NCES library branch. 7 The categories of institutions were defined by the AAUP as follows: Category I- includes institutions that of- fer the doctorate degree and which conferred in the most recent three years an annual aver- age of fifteen or more earned doctorates cov- ering a minimum of three nonrelated disci- plines. Category IIA- includes institutions awarding degrees above the baccalaureate but not included in category one. Category JIB- includes institutions awarding only the baccalaureate or equiva- lent degree. Category III- includes two-year institu- tions with academic ranks. A fourth category used by the AAUP was deleted from the present study because data items were insufficient for meaningful analy- ses. The NCES did not release salary data in cells with one or two individuals. Thus, a number of libraries submitting data were not included in the tabulations. Because of the deletion of the fourth category, averages for all categories combined for each academic rank or library position were not possible. The combination of all types of institutions (public, private, and church related) were possible within the two full categories and two subcategories. The library position levels of technical, clerical, and other supporting staff were de- leted from the AA UP data because these could not be considered faculty level posi- tions. In most types of institutions, Other Professionals would not be considered fac- ulty. They were included in the tabulations to add balance, but were dropped from some of the analyses. The present methodology included the lev- els of the standard academic ranks of Profes- sor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Instructor, with three library position levels of Chief, Deputy, Associate, and Assis- tant Chief Librarians; All Other Librarians; and Other Professionals. All of the seven lev- els were tabulated with the three types of in- Research Notes I 347 stitutions, and all three were combined un- der each category and subcategory to produce table 1. The tabulations in the academic rank columns of table 1 were each multiplied by eleven-ninths (11/g). This transformation compensated for the differences between the number of months worked each year by in- structional faculty and librarians. Although the AAUP reported a twelve-month basis for library staff salaries, it is not uncommon for librarians at institutions of higher education to receive one month of vacation annually. The salaries of instructional faculty were re- ported by the AAUP on a "standard academic-year basis." The tabulations re- sulting from the transformation for number of months worked each year clearly showed that Professor and Category I salaries were the highest. To establish scaled relationships between Professor salaries and other salaries in each type of institution, the Professor salaries were set at 100. By dividing each Professor salary into 100 and multiplying the product times each of the other salaries, relative (scale) val- ues were produced for each type of institu- tion. [(100 + Professor Salary) x (Other Salary) = scalevalue.] Because the All Combined salaries line for types -of institutions within categories were unaffected by earlier data deletions, the same transformations were applied to them. The values in the All Combined line of Cate- gory I institutions were each set at 100. By dividing the All Combined values into 100, ratios were established. These ratios were then multiplied by the All Combined salaries in each category below them to pro- duce the *All Combined values. [(100 + Category I All Combined value) x (other cat- egory All Combined value) = *All Com- bined value.] The results of the above two transformations are shown in table 2. The percentages in table 2 are relative magnitudes only. Professors obviously do not earn all there is to earn, nor do they earn the highest possible salary. Use of the definition of percentages that refers to parts and a whole would lead to misinterpretation of ta- ble 2. Misinterpretation should be avoided by recognizing that the other salaries are rep- resented in terms relative to the highest level. Thus, the figures in the cells of the lines to the 348 I College & Research Libraries • july 1982 right of the lOOs are scale values relative to Professors being 100. Likewise, the *All Combined lines have figures in the cells that are scale values relative to the Category I All Combined values at the tops of the columns. The use of percentages in table 2 to scale the salary data allows the relationships of the values to be understood and referenced in simple terms. To identify the equivalent salary levels by types of institutions within categories, groups within five percentage points were produced. This resulted in five or six groups for each type of institution. These groups were usually separated by more than five percentage points. The distances between groups were not represented in the tabula- tions. (See table 3.) This transformation of the data revealed that all academic librarian salary groups were below the highest-level salary group of instructional faculty (Professors). Levels of librarians' salary groups shift downward on the instructional faculty scale in the higher- numbered categories of institutions. The highest-level salary group of librarians is even below the lowest level of instructional faculty in Category Ill. To help clarify the array of librarians' sal- ary groups within instructional faculty sal- ary groups in table 3, table 4 was compiled. Table 4 shows the spreads between the low- est and highest instructional faculty salaries and between Chief and Other Librarians based on the percentages in table 2. In table 4 the general trend in the narrowing of spread of instructional faculty salaries is reflected in a narrowing of librarian salaries. This is as would be expected. Not necessarily to be ex- pected, though, is that by comparison of ta- ble 4 and table 3 it can be seen that narrower spreads of instructional faculty salaries are directly related to library salaries being in lower groups. The spread of salary data for librarians is narrow compared to the spread of instruc- tional faculty salaries. The widest spread be- tween the lowest instructional faculty percentage (Instructor) and the highest (Pro- fessor) is 54.33 percent. The widest spread between percentages for Other Librarians and Chief Librarians is 26.54 percent. The difference between these two spreads (54.33% -26.54% = 27.79%) is greater than the spread of the librarian percentages. The narrowest spread in instructional fac- TABLE! INSTRUCflONAL FACULTY AND LIBRARIAN SALARIES BY TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS Chief Associate Other Assistant Other Professors Librarians Professors Librarians Professors Professionals Instructors Cate~oryi Pu lie 26,420 24,450 19,780 15,880 16,090 12,620 12,860 Private Independent 28,880 23,210 20,150 14,820 16,140 12,470 13,190 Church-Related 24,850 18,850 19,320 12,870 15,920 12,440 12,640 All Combined 26,880 23,210 19,810 15,380 16,090 12,570 12,890 Cate~ory IIA Pu lie 24,290 19,700 19,280 15,900 15,860 11,610 12,790 Private Independent 23,380 17,050 18,470 13,210 15,130 9,380 11,960 Church-Related 19,950 14,240 16,550 11,980 14,040 8,180 11,160 All Combined 23,690 18,070 18,870 15,190 15,550 10,850 12,480 Cate~ory liB Pu lie 22,070 17,730 18,060 14,720 15,220 9,710 12,470 Private Independent 21,790 14,390 16,650 12,440 13,830 8,370 11,360 Church-Related 18,560 12,430 15,290 11,360 12,960 7,990 10,740 All Combined 20,400 14,070 16,390 13,140 13,790 8,620 11,400 Cate~ory III Pu lie 23,240 18,720 19,360 17,590 16,220 14,440 13,990 Private Independent 15,560 11,350 14,660 12,280 12,380 11,100 Church-Related 13,470 13,750 13,100 12,730 12,030 9,480 All Combined 22,780 18,470 19,120 17,490 16,030 14,440 13,790 Category I- includes institutions which offer the doctorate degree and which conferred in the most recent three years an annual average of fifteen or more earned doctorates covering a minimum of three nonrelated disciplines. Category IIA- includes institutions awarding degrees above the baccalaureate but not included in Category I. Category liB- includes institutions awarding only the baccalaureate or equivalent degree . Category III - includes two-year institutions with academic rank. Sources : AAUP Bulletin 64:197 (Sept . 1978); and Academe 12, no. 4:8 (Dec.l978) . Research Notes I 349 TABLE2 ScALED INsTRucriONAL FACULTY AND LIBRARIAN SALARIES BY TYPFS OF INSTITUTIONs Chief Associate Other Assistant Other Professors Librarians Professors Librarians Professors Professionals Instructors Cate~oryl Pu lie 100.00 75.72 74.87 49.18 60.90 39.08 48.68 Private Independent 100.00 65.75 69.77 41.99 55.89 35.33 45.67 Church-Related 100.00 62.06 77.75 42.37 64.07 40.96 50.87 All Combined 100.00 70.65 73.70 46.81 59.86 38.26 47.95 *All Combined 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 Cate~ory IIA Pu lie 100.00 66.36 79.37 53.56 65.29 39.11 52.65 Private Independent 100.00 59.67 79.00 46.23 64.71 32.82 51.15 Church-Related 100.00 58.40 82.96 49.13 70.38 33.54 55.94 • All Combined 88.13 77.85 95.25 98.76 96.64 86.32 96.82 Cate~ory liB Pu lie 100.00 65.73 81.83 54.57 68.96 36.00 56.50 Private Independent 100.00 54.03 76.41 46.71 63.47 31.43 52.13 Church-Related 100.00 54.80 82.38 50.08 69.83 35.22 57.87 • All Combined 75.89 60.62 82.74 85.44 85.70 68.58 88.44 Cate~ory III Pu lie 100.00 65.91 83.31 61.93 69.79 50.84 60.20 Private Independent 100.00 59.68 94.21 64.57 79.56 71.34 Church-Related 100.00 83.52 97.25 77.32 89.31 70.38 • All Combined 84.75 79.58 96.52 113.72 99.62 114.88 106.98 Categories in this table are the same as in table 1. The • All Combined line in each category allows comparisons between categories . The numbers in the cells of the • All Combined lines have the same relationship to the • All Combined numbers in the Category I cells, as do the numbers for academic ranks and library positions to Professors. ulty percentages is 28.66 percent. This is still wider than the widest spread in librarian percentages. The narrowest spread in librar- ian percentages is 3.98 percent. CoNCLUSIONS Salary data that are broadly national in scope, though unbiased by the objectives and limitations of an individual researcher, do have some limitations. The number of insti- tutions included in each of the two surveys used could be more equal. The salary levels for librarians could be redefined to produce four equivalents to the instructional faculty levels. The AAUP conducted their first annual salary survey in 1958. They began to rely on the NCES for data collection in1977. The in- structional faculty salaries in this article are based on 2,652 institutions for the 1977-78 academic year. 8 The librarian salary data used in this article are also for the 1977-78 academic year, but are based on 1,557 insti- tutions. 9 1t is hoped that the number of insti- tutions included will become more equal. The original number of institutions used by the NCES for the librarian salary data was 3,058 in 1977. Some research on the transfor- mation of the data from the NCES to the AAUP publications would be of future inter- est. The redefinition of salary levels for the li- brarians might be a less promising proposal. The present structure of Chief Librarians, All Other Librarians, and Other Professional Staff is the traditional classification, based on decades of library personnel practices. A reclassification should be considered, al- though it would cause a rift between aca- demic librarians and librarians in other types of institutions. The academic librarian levels could be based on academic achievement (broadly defined), rather than on adminis- trative position. Although the NCES data has some limita- tions, the methodology used in this study puts the emphasis on comparisons that are often obscured by a multitude of considerations. For example, when debate about salaries be- gins to include the meaning of such state- ments as "equivalent education and experi- ence,"10 the point of the equivalence of real salaries becomes confounded. The present data clearly shows that librarians are paid less than instructional faculty in all catego- ries of institutions. The numbers of institutions included in both data sets are large enough to be signifi- w CJl 0 TABLE3 FACULTY RANKS AND LIBRARIAN PosiTIONS GRouPED BY PERCENTAGE oF PRoFESsoRS' SALARIES (J £. Group One Group Two Group Three Group Four Group Five Group Six i Catetory ~ Pu lie Profs. (100) Ch. Libns. (75) Asst. Profs. (60) Other Libns. (49) Other Profsnls . (39) G- Assoc. Profs. ~74~ Instrctrs. ~48) !:1::1 Private Profs . (100) Assoc. Profs. 69 Asst. Profs. (55) Instrctrs. 45) Other Profsnls. (35) ~ Independent Ch. Libns. (65) Other Libns. (41) ~ Church- Profs. (100) Assoc. Profs. (77) Asst. Profs. (64) Instrctrs. (50) Other Libns . (42) "'i (") Related Ch. Libns. (62) Other Profsnls. (40) ;:s-o Catetory IIA t"'" Pu lie Profs. (100) Assoc. Profs. (79) Ch . Libns. (66) Other Libns. (53) Other Profsnls. (39) & "'i Asst. Profs. ~65~ Instrctrs. ~52~ ~ Private Profs. (100) Assoc. Profs. (79) Asst. Profs. 64 Instrctrs. 51 Other Profsnls. (32) ;:l, Independent Ch. Libns. (59) Other Libns . (46) ~ Church- Profs . (100) Assoc. Profs. (82) Asst. Profs. (70) Ch. Libns. (58) Other Libns. (49) Other Profsnls. (33) ~ Related Instrctrs. (55) Catetory liB c.E" ,._ Pu lie Profs. (100) Assoc. Profs. (81) Asst. Profs. (68) Instrctrs. (56) Other Profsnls. (36) co Ch. Libns. (65) Other Libns. (54) ~ Private Profs. (100) Assoc. Profs. (76) Asst. Profs. (63) Ch. Libns. (54) Other Libns. (46) Other Profsnls . (31) Independent Instrctrs . ~52~ Church- Profs. (100) Assoc. Profs. (82) Asst. Profs. (69) Instrctrs . 57 Other Libns . (50) Other Profsnls. (35) Related Ch. Libns. (54) Catetory III Pu lie Profs. (100) Assoc . Profs. (83) Asst. Profs. (69) Other Libns. (61) Other Profsnls. (50) Ch. Libns. (65) Instrctrs. ~60~ Private Profs. (100) Assoc. Profs. (94) Asst. Profs. (79) Instrctrs. 71 Other Libns . (64) Ch. Libns. (59) Independent Church- Profs. ( 1 00~ Asst. Profs . (89) Ch. Libns. (83) Other Libns. (77) Instrctrs. (70) Related Assoc. Pro s. {97~ Categories in this table are the same as in table 1. The position of Chief Librarians is set in italics for comparison, as is the percentage of Other Librarians in each line . The numbers in parentheses are the scaled levels of the positions and ranks. Groups are determined by positions and rank percentages being within five percentage points . There is no relative scale among groups. TABLE4 SPREAD OF SCALED INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY AND LIBRARIAN SALARIES Instructional Faculty Librarians Cate~oryl Pu lie 51.32 26.54 Private Independent Church- 54.33 23.76 Related 49.13 19.69 Cate~ory IIA Pu lie 47.35 12.80 Private Independent Church- 48.85 13.44 Related 44.06 9.27 Cate~ory liB Pu lie 43.50 11.16 Private Independent 47.87 7.32 Church- Related 42.13 4.72 Cate~ory III Pu lie 39.80 3.98 Private Independent Church- 28.66 (4.89) Related 29.62 6.20 cant. The institutional categories match well. The AAUP uses the NCES data to com- pare instructional faculty salaries to four other professional groups. Their data display is based on salaries and is organized to avoid other considerations. 11 A future study could compare librarians' salaries to the four groups used by the AAUP. Research Notes I 351 These are: (1) federal government; (2) pri- vate industry; (3) broad occupation groups; and (4) professional and managerial groups. Although the present study presents data for direct comparison between instructional faculty and librarians, the data can be used to compare salaries among types of institu- tions and categories of institutions within the various levels of librarianship. REFERENCES 1. Anita R. Schiller, "Academic Librarians' Sala- ries," College & Research Libraries 30:101-11 (March 1969). 2. Association of College and Research Libraries, "Standards for Faculty Status for College and University Librarians," College & Research Libraries News 33:210-12 (Sept. 1972). 3. Ibid., p.211. 4. R. Dean Galloway, "Status or Stasis: Aca- demic Librarians 10 Years Later," American Libraries 10:349-52 Qune 1979). 5. "Report on the Annual Survey of Faculty Compensation, 1977-78," AAUP Bulletin- 64:191 (Sept. 1978). 6. Ibid., p.193-95. 7. "Library Staff Salaries," Academe 12, no.4:8 (Dec. 1978). 8. "Report on the Annual Survey," p.193-94. 9. "Library Staff Salaries," p.8. 10. Association of College and Research Libraries, "Standards," p.211. 11. "Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 1979-80," Academe 66:393 (Nov. 1980). SHARE OUR FIFTY YEARS ' EXPERIENCE IN REAL ESTATE VALUATION (\!) THE APPRAISAL JOURNAL The members of the Appraisal Institute have , over the last fifty years , worked towards the development of a comprehensive body of knowledge in the field of real estate appraising . Based on experience and proven skills, that knowledge is shared with other professionals through publication of our quarterly Appraisal Journal. A pioneer in appraisal publishing and education , the Institute· is the oldest professional appraisal organization and the only one affiliated with the National Association of REALTORS~ Its members hold the most sought after designations in appraising : MAl (Member, Appraisal Institute) and RM (Residential Member). But our wealth of knowledge doesn't come from appraisers alone. 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