College and Research Libraries By A N N E T T E L . H O A G E Resignations in T w o University Libraries Miss Hoage is instructor, School of Li- brary Service, Atlanta University. TH I S IS A R E P O R T of some of the findings from a study which was made to in- vestigate to what extent employee turnover in university libraries is caused by resigna- tions due to low salaries and the lack of chances for advancement. T h e material was collected early in 1948 from field visits and from mail questionnaires which were sent to employees who had resigned. Of 313 questionnaires, 175 (56 per cent) were returned. Although the sample is not entirely representative of the total group of resigners, it is representative of the pro- fessional and nonprofessional employees. T h i s study is limited to two university libraries—the University of Illinois Library and the University of Minnesota Library. It is f u r t h e r limited to the personnel on the U r b a n a campus of the University of Illinois and to the main library at the University of Minnesota. Only full-time employees have been included. T h e period of the study is for the five calendar years, 1943- 1947. These librarians were chosen for this study, not because of their representative- ness, but because they were considered to have above average provisions for the organ- ization and welfare of their personnel. It was felt that these librarians would have better than average methods for combatting turnover, and as a consequence, there would be fewer resignations than in other libraries. T h e conclusions of the study apply only to the libraries studied, or at most to those that are similar. T h i s investigation at- tempts to answer the question: Is it true that employees resigned from these two uni- versity libraries because of low salaries and lack of chances for advancement? Definitions T u r n o v e r in this report will be expressed by the separation rate, unless otherwise indicated. T h e method of computing turn- over used by the U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is p r e f e r r e d : 1. F i n d t h e a v e r a g e n u m b e r of employees. ( A d d t h e n u m b e r on the p a y r o l l on t h e f i r s t and l a s t of t h e m o n t h a n d divide by t w o . ) 2. D i v i d e t h e t o t a l n u m b e r of employees s e p a r a t e d f r o m t h e p a y r o l l by t h e a v e r a g e n u m b e r of employees. 3. M u l t i p l y t h e r e s u l t by 100 t o g e t t h e r a t e p e r 100 employees. T h e Bureau of Labor Statistics method for computing the turnover rate could not be completely followed in this study be- cause it was difficult to obtain all of the library payrolls for the five-year period. T h e figures given in the annual reports to the American Library Association were substituted for the "average number of employees." Resignations are considered separations initiated by employees because of dissatis- faction with job conditions or for personal reasons.1 1 Dahl, M a r y B. The ABC of Absenteeism and Labor Turnover. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1944, P- 2. 28 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES Size of Turnover W r i t e r s agree that a certain amount of turnover is inevitable and desirable. A high rate of turnover is more generally the cause for alarm, but a very low rate may also indicate that personnel practices need to be examined. J u s t as a high turnover rate indicates instability, a low rate warns of stagnation. Norms are not available to show what constitutes "high" or " l o w " turnover for libraries. "An annual rate of about 15 per cent, spread more or less evenly over the whole staff" was considered optimum in a W h e n the total number of employees and the total number of separations, or resigna- tions, could be found, the rate was com- puted. W h e n the actual rate was given it was used. Rates were computed or found for 21 libraries. However, not all of the libraries reported for all of the five years, 1943-47. T h e rates ranged from 150 per cent in 1943 to 10 per cent in 1944. T a b l e 1 shows that the turnover rates of the two libraries studied range from 47 per cent in 1945 (University of Illinois) to 11 p e r c e n t in 1944 (University of M i n n e s o t a ) . These data are only rough computations. Table 1 Turnover Rates for Two University Libraries, 1943-47 Ymr Average Number Separations of Workers N u m b e r Per Cent Minnesota Illinois Minnesota Illinois Minnesota Illinois 1943 88 114 21 36 24 31 1944 91 119 10 5i 11 42 1945 76 123 13 58 17 47 1946 77 124 20 37 26 30 1947 77 134 32 39 42 29 T o t a l 36 Average 82 123 19 44 23 36 study of six American public libraries.2 An English writer stated that he "once calcu- lated that in large systems before the war, the average annual intake due to staff leav- ing for various reasons was 10 per cent."3 In 1926 the rate of turnover for libraries in the United States federal field service was six per cent.4 Library literature and approximately 200 annual reports of individual libraries were searched for statements of rates of turn- over. Very few reports contained such data. 2 Goldhor, Herbert. " T h e Selection of Employees in L a r g e C i v i l S e r v i c e and Non-Civil S e r v i c e P u b l i c Li- b r a r i e s . " Unpublished P h . D . dissertation, Graduate L i - brary School, U n i v e r s i t y of Chicago, 1942, p. 29. 3 Hutchings, F . G. B . " T h e Education of F u t u r e Entrants to the L i b r a r y P r o f e s s i o n . " I n Papers and Summaries of Discussions at the Brighton Conference . . . London, T h e L i b r a r y Association, 1947, p. 74. 4 Mosher, W . , and K i n g s l e y , J. D. Public Personnel Administration. R e v . ed. N e w Y o r k , H a r p e r & B r o s . , 1941, P- 42. T h e figures are too meager and the sources are not reliable enough for accurate meas- urement. N o attempt is made to deter- mine whether either of the two university libraries has a high or low turnover rate. It would seem that the separation rates for the two libraries are not higher than the average for the other libraries. T h i s sup- ports the earlier assumption upon which the choice of these two libraries was based. Since little has been published concerning attempts to control turnover in libraries, it is not known whether this is an adequate criterion. Causes of Turnover T h e causes cited most often in studies of turnover are ( i ) dissatisfaction with JANUARY, 1950 29 T a b l e 2 Reasons for Resigning (Arranged in the Order of Frequency) Marriage, or following h u s b a n d Chances for a d v a n c e m e n t Better opportunities elsewhere Limited chances here Lack of responsibility and challenge Dissatisfaction with r a n k Salaries T y p e of work Disliked work or preferred new work M o n o t o n y of work W a n t e d to do war work Working relations U n s a t i s f a c t o r y supervision " U n f r i e n d l y a t m o s p h e r e " T e m p o r a r y work M o t h e r h o o d For self-improvement T o a t t e n d school T o broaden experience Locality or climate Wished to travel H o m e responsibilities H e a l t h W a n t e d to be a t or nearer home W a n t e d a change T r a i n e d in, and preferred another field Physical working conditions Nepotism rule Loneliness Following family Working hours or days Housing T r a n s p o r t a t i o n T o t a l salaries, with the nature of the job or working conditions, with the hours or type of work, or with the personnel policies; ( 2 ) better opportunities elsewhere; and ( 3 ) conditions not directly related to the job, such as housing, child care, marriage, and death. T h e causes that have been given in the literature for high turnover in libraries include low salaries and too few increases, monotony of too much routine work, not enough scope for initiative and develop- ment, and lack of promotion.5 " M a r r i a g e and family life have taken a heavy toll of 5 N o u r s e , L . M . " S p e a k i n g f o r the D i s s a t i s f i e d Y o u n g A s s i s t a n t . " A.L.A. Bulletin, 3 1 : 6 2 9 , O c t . 1 , I 9 3 7 - N u m b e r of P e r C e n t of Times Cited Times Cited 48 19 41 16 38 15 22 9 \ 20 8 18 7 14 5 14 5 9 4 4 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 I I I I 16 255 1 0 0 young women in the profession."6 I n the present study, 22 reasons for leaving were given by the 175 resigners who answered the questionnaire. These 22 reasons were cited 255 times. T a b l e 2 shows that the resigners from these two libraries cited the following reasons most frequently: mar- riage, chances for advancement, salaries, the type of work, and working relations. T h i s general survey of the causes of resig- nations in the two libraries is superficial, and it should be only a preliminary step to a more intensive analysis. T h e determina- tion of the causes of resignations, because 6 U l v e l i n g , R . A . " P e r s o n n e l P l a n n i n g f o r t h e P o s t - w a r P e r i o d . " A.L.A. Bulletin, 3 8 : 5 9 . F e b r u a r y 1944. 30 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES of their complex nature and the large num- ber of factors to be considered, would necessitate an inquiry of magnitude quite beyond the scope of this study. T h e main objective is to isolate and measure the resignations due to low salaries and lack of chances for advancement. positions? ( 6 ) T o what extent did the resigners take positions of a higher grade than their former positions? T h e combined data for the two libraries show t h a t : ( i ) T h e median annual salary of the employees who remained is signifi- cantly greater than the median annual Tabic 3 T h e Importance of "Salaries" and " T h e Chance for Advancement" as Shown by the Number of Resigners Who Cited These Reasons in Two University Libraries, 1943-47 University of Illinois Library University of Minnesota Library Professional Employees Non-Professional Employees Professional Employees Non-Professional Employees Male E m - ployees Female E m - ployees Male Em- ployees Female E m - ployees Male E m - ployees Female E m - ployees Male E m - ployees Female E m - ployees Proportion of resigners from the two university librar- ies who cited salaries and the chance for advance- ment as reasons for leav- ing. 83% (10) 62% (23) 0 13% (6) 100% (1) 19% (3) 100% (5) 26% (5) Proportion of resigners from the two university librar- ies who did not cite sala- ries and the cKance for ad- vancement as reason for leaving. 1 7 % (2) 3 8 % (38) 0 00 0 81% (13) X 7 4 % ( H ) Total 100% 100% 0 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% (The number of employees is given in parenthesis.) The Importance of Salaries and Chances for Advancement T h e following questions were considered: ( 1 ) D o the average annual salaries of the resigners and the average annual salaries of the employees who remained differ sig- nificantly? ( 2 ) As the median annual salaries of the resigners increased, did the annual resignation rates decrease? ( 3 ) W h a t proportion of the resigners received higher salaries in their new positions? ( 4 ) W h a t proportion of the resigners cited low salaries and the lack of chances for ad- vancement as reasons for leaving? ( 5 ) W h a t proportion of the resigners expected better chances for advancement in the new salary of the employees who resigned, ( 2 ) T h e negative relationship between the an- nual resignation rates and the median annual salaries of the resigners is too slight ( — .10 Spearman) to give a definite an- swer in regard to the trend in this area for these two libraries. Resignation rates increased in 1945 and in 1947 at the same time that salaries increased. ( 3 ) Fifty- six per cent of the resigners did not re- ceive higher salaries in their new positions than they had been receiving in the li- braries studied. ( 4 ) Salaries and t h e \ chance for advancement were cited 33 per cent of the time as reasons for leaving. ( 5 ) Thirty-seven per cent of the resigners, in the two libraries studied, did not ex- JANUARY, 1950 31 pect a better chance for advancement in their new positions. ( 6 ) T h i r t y - n i n e per cent of the resigners did not receive a higher rank in their new positions. T h e s e data were f u r t h e r analyzed by class of worker, sex, and institution (see T a b l e 3 ) . T h e analysis indicates: ( i ) T h a t there were years w h e n the salaries of those who remained were not significantly greater than the salaries of the resigners among the professional and nonprofessional w o r k e r s and in the t w o libraries; ( 2 ) that the pro- portion of resignations did not decrease as the median annual salaries for resigners increased for nonprofessional employees, and for employees at the University of M i n n e s o t a L i b r a r y ; ( 3 ) t h a t the propor- tion of times that salaries and the chance for advancement were cited is greater than all of the other reasons f o r men only. M e n constitute merely 9 per cent of the resigners. F o r the five years studied, the resigna- tion rate is largest for the University of M i n n e s o t a L i b r a r y in 1947. F o r the first time in the five-year period, there is no significant difference between the median annual salary of the employees w h o re- mained and the median annual salary of the employees w h o resigned f r o m the U n i - versity of Illinois L i b r a r y in 1947. T h i s leads one to question w h e t h e r low salaries and the lack of chances f o r advancement can wisely be a d j u d g e d the only important reasons why employees resigned f r o m these t w o libraries. Conclusions T h e available evidence tends to show t h a t although salaries and chances for ad- vancement are very i m p o r t a n t reasons w h y library employees resign, these are not the only i m p o r t a n t reasons. Comparison of the salaries of the employees w h o remained with the salaries of the employees w h o re- signed ; study of the relationship between salaries and resignation r a t e s ; and analysis of the responses to the questionnaire all seem to show t h a t low salaries and lack of chances for advancement have not been the only important reasons w h y employees have resigned f r o m these t w o libraries. T h e conclusions of this study are con- fined to these t w o university libraries. D u e to lack of comparative material, and due to the unrefined state of most of the data, cau- tion must be observed in i n t e r p r e t i n g the results. H o w e v e r , these conclusions may provide a sounder basis for practice in analyzing t u r n o v e r t h a n do opinions un- checked by evidence. Some conclusions may be d r a w n in re- gard to the study of t u r n o v e r in libraries. T h i s phase of personnel administration has been neglected. T h i s is a serious f a u l t since the problem of m a i n t a i n i n g adequate li- b r a r y personnel is acute. N o reports of in- tensive studies of t u r n o v e r in libraries were f o u n d . I n library l i t e r a t u r e many of the references to the t u r n o v e r situation were vague and general in n a t u r e . Specific, clear-cut analyses and statistics on t u r n - over were seldom found in library reports. Next Steps For the librarian—There should be a monthly count of separations, and a t u r n - over report should be made at least once a year. T h e t u r n o v e r report should show w h a t the condition of t u r n o v e r is for each d e p a r t m e n t and for each type of employee in the library. T h e r e should always be exit interviews, and records and analyses of them should be maintained. For further study—More studies of t u r n - over in individual libraries should be made available. L a r g e studies that are repre- sentative of types of libraries should be made. I t is i m p o r t a n t to k n o w at w h a t point turnover in libraries becomes de- sirable. T h e r e is a need for more studies of the reasons w h y employees resign. A t u r n o v e r index w o u l d be a valuable guide (Continued on page 39) 32 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES to evaluate the amount of satisfaction in cataloging with reference to any other form of library work. It does seem, however, that it would be of value to explore methods to increase the percentage of those thoroughly satisfied with this work. From the data presented here through the ex- pressions of catalogers themselves, it is ap- parent that considerable progress needs to be made in increasing the efficiency and comfort of physical working conditions. It is also apparent that more care might be exercised in the appointments of cataloging administrators with a view to increasing the level of staff morale and interest. A cataloger in one of the eastern women's colleges writes as follows: " I believe t h e r e is s o m e t h i n g f u n d a m e n t a l l y w r o n g in t h e p r e s e n t s i t u a t i o n w h i c h m a k e s l i b r a r i a n s r e l u c t a n t t o go into c a t a l o g i n g , and o f t e n a n x i o u s t o leave it. I can best describe this s i t u a t i o n p e r h a p s , by l i s t i n g the f o l l o w i n g f a c t o r s w h i c h I believe . . . a c c o u n t in l a r g e p a r t f o r t h e i n t a n g i b l e psychological a t m o s - p h e r e f o u n d in this field, i . I s o l a t i o n f r o m t h e r e s t of t h e l i b r a r y s t a f f . 2. L a c k of a d e q u a t e l e a d e r s h i p . A l l s o r t s of r e m e d i e s h a v e been s u g g e s t e d . . . f r o m s u b j e c t specialists t o h o u r s f o r w o r k i n g w i t h t h e public . . . I believe a f e a s i b l e s o l u t i o n d e p e n d s on t h e ability of t h e h e a d l i b r a r i a n and the h e a d c a t a l o g e r to b r i n g the c a t a l o g e r s into t h e m a i n s t r e a m of t h e li- b r a r y ' s a c t i v i t i e s . " A university cataloger describes a job situation which seems to reflect inefficient administrative planning and possibly poor job classification: " O r d e r and cataloging were combined as 'Technical P r o c e s s e s ' . . . I am still called 'Head Cataloger' . . . but actually I have no authority whatever. . ." Another university cataloger refers in- directly to a type of situation that might be influential in forming work attitudes: " I n my own mind I have a study to be incorpo- rated in an article on the social status of library staff members in a college com- munity as compared with the teaching faculty." A former cataloger of distinction, now a college librarian, writes that he feels the catalogers' expressions of preferences for administrative work do not reflect merely a desire to get away from requirements of certain mechanical routines. H e believes that the over-all rigidity of work patterns of cataloging departments in the past has tended to destroy or send elsewhere the initiative so badly needed if real progress and constructive thinking in this field are to be achieved. Resignations in Two University Libraries (Continued from page 32) for library administrators. T h e character- istics of the resigners should be extensively analyzed. M o r e information is needed in regard to the best methods for controlling turnover in libraries. Cost analyses of turnover should be made in order to de- termine whether librarians are justified in making efforts to control turnover. A more narrow definition of the factors influ- encing the rate of turnover should be made. Knowledge of the turnover situation is an important step toward gaining control of the personnel problem in libraries. It is a challenge to scholars to make contribu- tions in such a vital, yet relatively unex- plored area. JANUARY, 1950 39