Subject: Obtaining MLIS degree while employed at LSU Libraries

Purpose: To clarify hiring practices for employees who obtain an MLIS while employed at LSU Libraries.


BACKGROUND STATEMENT

The regulations of LSU allow employees to take courses while employed at the university to enhance their education or to complete degrees. Some support staff employed in the LSU Libraries may elect to pursue the MLIS in the LSU School of Library and Information Science. Permission to take courses must be approved by appropriate library personnel; approval is not automatic. While the Libraries will be supportive of employees pursuing educational opportunities, there should be no expectation that any employee will move from a support position into a tenure-track faculty position upon completion of the degree.

Faculty tenure-track positions are advertised and filled according to LSU PS-1 which outlines the University's equal opportunity policy. Individuals in tenure-track positions are expected to meet the criteria for appointment, retention, promotion and tenure stated in PS-36. A key provision of PS-36 is that the appointment of an individual whose terminal degree is from LSU to a tenure-track faculty position at LSU will be made "only when the exceptional merit of the candidate can be demonstrated."

In certain job market situations, LSU Libraries may offer one-year, terminal contracts for General Librarians to librarians with an LSU MLIS.

It is expected that support staff who receive the MLIS degree from the LSU School of Library and Information Science will pursue a professional career in librarianship.

POLICY

LSU compensates employees commensurate with their job responsibilities and other relevant factors. As employees pursue and/or complete the MLIS, caution should be exercised to ensure that they are not expected to perform tasks inappropriate for non-librarian positions while taking into consideration the evolution of library organizations and the changing roles of academic librarians. Tasks formerly performed by librarians are now being delegated to non-librarian positions held by employees who are expected to perform those tasks. Such changes in duties will be made consistent with established standards for non-librarian work in an academic setting.

Further, it is expected that an employee upon completing the MLIS will actively seek a position elsewhere as a librarian and, upon obtaining same, will resign from the non-librarian position in order to pursue a professional library career. Employees unable to obtain such positions will not be terminated merely because they have attained the higher degree. Assistance can be sought from the Assistant/Associate Deans of Libraries regarding career opportunities.