College and Research Libraries JAMES G. NEAL Continuing Education: Attitudes and Experiences of the Academic Librarian Continuing education opportunities for librarians must respond to a broad range of requirements, abilities, and expectations. Knowledge about continu- ing education attitudes and experiences can facilitate the planning of effec- tive programs. This study investigates the attitudes and experiences of librarians at the City University of New York and the variables age, sex, years since completion of library degree, job security, type of college li- brary, career goals, and additional academic degrees. Also covered are: areas viewed as most crucial for update and improvement, encouraging and discouraging factors, modes of education, and continuing education in librarianship versus a subject specialization. CHANCE PERSISTS as one of the major con- cerns and motivators to prof~ssional de- velopment in librarianship. With the in- creasing variety of formats in which informa- tion is available, the expanding dependence on automated systems, the shifting nature of library clientele, and the demand for li- brary managers with the skills to cope with the growing size and complexities of librar- ies and library networks, the profession has begun to assume a greater responsibility for the provision of adequate programs of con- tinuing educaHon for its members. The combination of these developments in librarianship and the pressure for spe- cialization has had a profound impact upon the professional growth of academic librar- ians. College and university libraries in par- ticular are significantly influenced by the rapid transformations and unprecedented innovations. This has taken place at the same time that many academic librarians have tried to cope with the pressures and responsibilities of recently secured faculty james G. Neal is associate librarian and head of the collection management department, Uni- versity of Notre Dame Libraries, Notre Dame, Indiana. 128 I status. The continuing education needs of librarians vary markedly, and the task of planning courses, programs, and other op- portunities that respond to individual re- quirements and abilities is clearly complex. THE PRESENT STUDY This study was designed to investigate: 1. The attitudes of academic librarians toward cqntinuing education in both librar- ianship and a subject specialization. 2. The continuing education activities of academic librarians. 3. The relationship between attitudes toward continuing education and continuing education activities experience. 4. The impact age, sex, years since com- pletion of library degree, job security, type of college library, career goals, and additional academic degrees have upon these attitudes and experiences. 5. The areas in which academic librarians feel the need to update knowledge and/or improve skills. 6. The fa'ctors academic librarians view as encouraging and discouraging their partici- pation in continuing education activities. 7. The modes of continuing education academic librarians view as being best suited to their needs, objectives, and capabilities. One of the prime national needs iden- tified in the final report of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science was continuing education for librar- ians.1 Borko, in his Targets for Research in Library Education, through the use of the Delphi technique, views research on "im- proving and updating the skills of profes- sional librarians" as a project "of very great importance. "2 It is important to determine the attitudes, experiences, and perceived needs and prob- lems specific to library types, systems, and functions so that programs can be organized and applied more effectively. PREVIOUS RESEARCH There have been a number of important studies of questions relating to continuing education for librarians, but three projects in particular significantly influenced the planning of the present investigation: Elizabeth Stone's Factors Related to the Professional Development of Librarians, Allie Beth Martin and Maryann Dugan's Continuing Education for Library Staffs in the Southwest (CELS), and the report to NCLIS entitled Continuing Library and In- formation Science Education. a-s Special note was also made of specialized studies of special, school, state, and medical library staffs. 6 - 9 The works of Virgo, Con- roy, and Redfield were important in the analysis of the survey results. 1o- 12 Many of the issues and problems identified in these works are examined in this study as they apply to academic librarianship. DEFINmONS For the purposes of this study, the excel- lent definitions provided in the Stone and NCLIS projects were used. Stone views continuing education as "all activities and efforts by librarians to upgrade their knowl- edge, abilities, competencies, and under- standing in their field of work or spe- cializations so that they can become more effective professionals and be able to handle responsibilities of greater scope and accoun- tability."13 The NCLIS definition of continu- ing education emphasizes the following points: Continuing Education I 129 1. The notion of lifelong learning as a means of keeping an individual up to date with new knowledge and preventing ob- solescence. 2. The updating of a person's education. 3. The allowance for diversification to a new area within a field. 4. The assumption that the individual carries the basic responsibility for his or her own development. 5. Educational activities that are beyond those considered necessary for entrance into the field. 14 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Once the purpose and scope of the inves- tigation were determined, the methods and procedures to be used to obtain the neces- sary data were developed. These ·included: identification of the sample and the nature of the survey sample design, selection of the variables to be measured by a question- naire, development of the questionnaire format and technique of presentation, the organization and administration of the ques- tionnaire, and the analysis of the data. It was·decided to use the librarians of the City University of New York as the group to be surveyed. The latest available LACUNY Directory listed the names of 360 profes- sional librarians working at twenty indi- vidual units of the university (not including part-time or adjunct librarians or library di- rectors). A sample of ninety individuals, or 25 percent, was selected. A stratified ran- dom sampling allowed for distribution pro- portionally to two- and four-year college li- brarians, male and female, and the various academic ranks. The literature on the construction of questionnaires was reviewed as the basis for developing the questionnaire used in the study. The questionnaire was designed to effect the purposes of the study and to mea- sure the variables being analyzed, with the provision for statistical manipulation of the results. The questionnaire was pretested by eight representative academic librarians, and, as a result, several revisions were made before the final questionnaire was sent out in April 1976. A cover letter identified the inves- tigator, gave the purpose of the study, de- fined the subject matter, assured the 130 I College & Research Libraries • March 1980 anonymity of the replies, and suggested that the questionnaire be returned by a specific date. A postpaid, preaddressed return en- velope was included, and no provision was made for a follow-up request for nonreturns. Of the ninety questionnaires sent to CUNY librarians, two were returned as un- deliverable, and seventy-three completed questionnaires were received, for a return rate of 83 percent. Chi-square tests were used at 0.05 level of significance as the statistical test of significance for all data in this study. RESULTS Attitudes toward Continuing Education Respondents were asked, in a series of five questions, to list how high a priority they assigned to continuing education in li- brarianship; interacting with other librarians at conferences and association activities; un- dertaking formal course work in librar- ianship; carrying out self-study programs; and continuing education in a subject spe- cialization. Values of 0 to 3 (corresponding to no, low, medium, and high priority) were given as responses to each question. The total value of these five answers for each re- spondent will be referred to as the attitude index, ranging in value from 0 to 15, where 0 represents no priority, 5 low priority, 10 medium priority, and 15 high priority. This index was designed as a frame of ref- erence for comparing attitudes toward con- tinuing education in librarianship and a sub- ject specialization, identifying the most fa- vored modes of continuing education, and measuring attitudes against a series of var- iables. The value of the attitude index could range from 0 (no priority) to 15 (high prior- ity). The mean value of the attitude index for the entire sample was 9.6, or just below medium priority. The study clearly demonstrates that CUNY librarians favor the interaction (meet- ing with other librarians at conferences and association activities) and self-study modes over formal course work. This supports a similar conclusion reached in the NCLIS and Stone projects. 15 >16 Continuing educa- tion in librarianship and a subject specializa- tion were both assigned the same level of priority. The variables sex, job security, type of college, and additional degrees had no sig- nificant relationship to the attitude toward continuing education. Noteworthy was the progressive increase in the attitude index moving toward the middle-age librarian (40-49 age group) and the mid-career librar- ian (11-20 years since library degree). There was a significantly higher value as- signed by younger librarians (under 30 age group) and the recent library school gradu- ate (under 5 years) to continuing education activities in a subject specialization. The unwritten requirement that CUNY librar- ians have a second subject master's degree should be kept in mind throughout this analysis. Those librarians who indicated plans to move into more administratively responsible positions (22 percent of the sample) had a markedly higher attitude index than those who indicated they wanted to remain in their present positions. This supports Stone's observation that librarians with higher career aspirations are more likely to support and take advantage of continuing education opportunities. 17 Continuing Education Experience On the basis of responses to a series of questions about recent activities in both li- brarianship and a subject specialization, a value was assigned to each respondent that will be referred to as the experience index. These questions covered books and journals read, research and publication, membership and participation in professional associa- tions, additional course work beyond the li- brary degree, and attendance at workshops, conferences, and seminars. The experience index was designed as a frame of reference for comparing continuing education activi- ties in both librarianship and a subject spe- cialization and for relating experience to the attitude index and the other variables. The results demonstrate that CUNY li- brarians devoted equal energies to continu- ing e4ucation activities in librarianship and in a subject area. A breakdown of the vari- ous elements producing the experience index shows that in terms of books read and formal course work a subject area was turned to, while in terms of association membership and conference/workshop par- ticipation librarianship moves to the fore. Similar to the results obtained with the attitude index, there was a significantly higher experience index value for the middle-age and the mid-career librarian. Furthermore, the younger librarian and the recent graduate were more involved with subject area activities, while the older and more experienced librarians were more ac- tive in the library field. The experience index value for librarians planning to move into more administratively responsible positions was significantly higher than that registered by the rest of the sample in both library and subject area activities. Those librarians with additional academic degrees beyond the library mas- ter's degree had a higher experience index, particularly in subject area activities. Noteworthy is the positive relationship between the experience and attitude in- dexes: the more affirmative a librarian's at- titude toward continuing education, the more extensive his or her continuing educa- tion experience. The reverse relationship was also valid. Stone had noted a "sig- nificant disparity between what the librar- ians were doing and what they thought they should be doing for maximum professional development. "18 The results of this CUNY study demonstrate a closer relationship be- tween experience and attitude. Encouraging and Discouraging Factors A list of factors that could be viewed as encouraging or discouraging participation in continuing education activities was included in the questionnaire. Respondents were asked to indicate whether they felt each represented a significant, a minor, or no fac- tor in terms of their personal situations. CUNY librarians ranked exposure to new ideas, the opportunity to update skills and knowledge, and assistance in providing bet- ter service as the top three factors motivat- ing participation in continuing education ac- tivities. It is noteworthy that promotion and ten- ure and encouragement from colleagues and supervisors were factors ranked significantly lower. These results support Stone's conclu- sion that librarians are motivated most by activities that provide "a feeling of growth in job competence. " 19 Virgo's study simi- larly demonstrated the importance of con- Continuing Education I 131 tinuing education opportunities that provide information about new approaches and in- novative services. 20 Lack of time was indicated as the prime deterrent, followed by prohibitive costs. These concerns are part of the long-standing demand of CUNY librarians for more re- leased time and increased financial support for participation in such activities. Stone concluded that the major deterrents were those factors "associated with extrinsic conditions," while Martin found that insuf- ficient time and money were the major frus- trations. 21 • 22 Subject Areas The questionnaire included a list of areas in which academic librarians might feel the need to update knowledge and/or improve skills. Respondents were asked to indicate whether they felt significant, some, or no need for additional training or information in each area. Values of 2, 1, and 0 were re- spectively assigned to each response. The areas included: library automation, library administration, non-book and au- diovisual materials, interlibrary cooperation and networking, collection development and evaluation, systems design and analysis, re- search methodology, non-library science subject specialization, educational theory and methods, reference services, data base operations, problems and developments in higher education, personnel administration, cataloging and classification, human rela- tions, remedial instruction, current issues in librarianship, and bibliographic instruction. Library automation, data base operations, non-book materials, and systems design and analysis were the four areas CUNY librar- ians viewed as demanding their greatest at- tention in library continuing education. The NCLIS and Virgo studies also identified these areas as important to librarians, but with much greater emphasis on manage- ment and human relations skills. 23• 24 In the CUNY study, librarians seekin~ to advance administratively indicated a higher · level of need to update knowledge and/or improve skills than the total sample in all but one area, bibliographic instruction, with very significant differences in library admin- istration, human relations, personnel admin- istration, and systems design and analy- 132 I College & Research Libraries • March 1980 sis-all directly related to their career goals. The senior and community college rank- ings provided some interesting responses, with two-year college librarians placing greater emphasis than their four-year col- leagues on two areas in which the latter are far more heavily involved in practical work experience, namely, library automation and data base operation. Perhaps anticipation provides greater motivation than daily in- volvement, which is in fact a form of educa- tion itself. The media emphasis in the community college evoked a higher re- sponse for non-book and audiovisual mate- rials, and the heavy concentration of open- admission students in the community col- leges explains the higher ranking for reme- dial instruction. CONCLUSIONS Librarians at the City University of New York maintained a largely equivocal attitude toward continuing education at the time of the survey, responses ranging from low to high priority ratings and an overall index value just below medium priority. The favoring of continuing education activities in a subject area on an equal basis with activi- ties in librarianship to a great extent refl~ts the subject organization of academic librar- ies, the pressure for additional academic degrees beyond the master's in library sci- ence, particularly in the CUNY system, and the subject expertise that is increasingly es- sential for the effective operation of the aca,demic library. These attitudes are reflected in the ex- periences of CUNY librarians in continuing education activities. All the librarians sur- veyed ~ere involved in both formal and in- formal activities, with books read and course work in a subject area and association mem- bership and conference participation in li- brarianship clearly favored. This demonstrates the impact of demands for tangible evidence, in the form of course credits, of advancement beyond the library master's. However, CUNY librarians still clearly ·viewed interaction with other librar- ians in conference and association activities as more productive ~md warranting their membership and attendance. ·This study shows the positive relationship between continuing education activities and experiences. It is not clear whether affirma- tion breeds involvement, or vice versa. Nevertheless, those CUNY librarians who recognized the need for such participation and viewed it positively also tended to be more actively involved. The middle-age and mid-career librarian maintained a more positive attitude toward continuing education activities and was more extensively involved than other groups. Clearly, years of experience and time since completion of library degree are important factors in producing recognition of the need to update knowledge and improve skills. Ambitious career goals also produced a sig- nificantly more positive attitude, which was manifested in greater participation. Automation, non-book materials, systems design and analysis, and data base opera- tions were the areas identified most fre- quently and forcefully as requiring greatest attention in continuing education. Faced with new trends, technologies, and patron expectations thai are unfamiliar and for which many have had neither training nor work experience, the academic librarian feels the need to seek out opportunities for update and instruction. The librarians at CUNY viewed continu- ing education as a source of more effective job performance, challenge, creativity, and satisfaction. However, practical concerns, particularly the inability to budget sufficient funds and time, frequently made involve- ment difficult. CUNY librarians viewed the interaction and self-study modes as being best suited to their needs, objectives, and job demands. Time and cost restrictions influenced this response. Nevertheless, continuing educa-· tion opportunities must be broad, with freedom of choice and individualized pro- grams ensured: REFERENCES 1. National Commission on Libraries and In- formation Science, . Toward a National Pro- gram for Library ·and- Information Seroices: Goals for Action (Washington, D.C.: Govt. Print. Off., 1975), p.43. 2. Harold Borko, Targets for Research in Li- brary Education (Chicago: American Library Assn., 1973), p.216. 3. Elizabeth W. Stone, Factors Related to the Professional Development of Librarians (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1969) . 4. Allie Beth Martin and Maryann Dugan, Con- tinuing Education for Library Staffs in the Southwest (CELS) : A Survey with Recom- mendations (Dallas : Southwestern Library Assn ., 1974) . 5. Elizabeth W. Stone, Ruth Patrick, and Bar- bara Conroy, Continuing Library and Infor- mation Science Education: Final Report to the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (Washington, D.C.: Govt. Print. Off., ).974). 6. Lawrence A. Allen, Continuing Education Needs of Special Librarians (New York: Spe- cial Libraries Assn., 1974). 7. American Association of School Librarians, "Summary Sheet of Responses Received from Questionnaires about Continuing Education for School-Library-Media Supervisors ," School Libraries 18:53 (Summer 1969). 8. American Library Association, Association of State Library Agencies , and Library Educa- tion Division , Education of. State Library Personnel: A Report with Recommendations Relating to the Continuing Education of State Library Agency Professional Personnel (Chicago: American Library Assn., 1971). 9. Julie A. Virgo, "Medical Library Association's Continuing Education Program," Journal of Education for Librarianship 16:50-55 (Sum- mer 1975). Continuing Education I 133 10. Julie A. Virgo, Continuing Library Educa- tion: Needs Assessment Model Programs (Washington, D.C. : CLENE, 1977). 11. Barbara Conroy, Library Staff Development and Continuing Education : Principles and Practices (Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlim- ited, 1978). 12. Gretchen Redfield, Continuing EdtJcation Survey , Parts 1 & 2 (Chicago: Assn. of Col- lege and Research Libraries, 1978). 13. Stone, Factors Related to Professional De- velopment, p.21. 14. Stone, Patrick, and Conroy, Continuing Li- brary and Information Science Education, p.2-3. 15. Ibid., p .2, 44, 45. 16. Stone , Factors Related to Professional De- velopment, p.197. 17. Ibid., p.209. 18. Ibid. , p .197. 19. Ibid., p .201. 20. Virgo, Continuing Library Education-,-p.202. 21. Stone, Factors Related to Professional De- velopment, p .202. 22. Martin and Dugan, Continuing Education for Library Staffs, p.31. 23. Stone, Patrick, and Conroy, Continuing Li- brary and Information Science Education, p.2-39. 24. · Virgo, Continuing Library Education, p.42.