The career pathways of academic librarians: A kaleidoscope career model analysis of faculty identity and institutional engagement

• Published in: Library & information science research Vol. 47; no. 3; p. 101371
• Main Author: Wiser, James A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.07.2025
• Subjects: Academic libraries; Career pathways; Kaleidoscope career model; Librarian faculty status; Librarian faculty status; Kaleidoscope career model; Academic libraries; Career pathways
• ISSN: 0740-8188
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lisr.2025.101371

This study examines how career origin, whether librarianship constitutes a first or second career, shapes academic librarians' engagement with faculty status, tenure processes, and institutional loyalty. Using the Kaleidoscope Career Model (KCM) as a theoretical framework, the research analyzed how librarians navigate the framework's phases across different career pathways, offering possible new understandings to which librarians care more about librarian faculty status than others and why. Through semi-structured interviews at two comparable institutions, the study reveals that first-career librarians often view faculty status as an expected component of their professional identity and demonstrate stronger institutional loyalty, while second-career librarians approach faculty status more pragmatically, drawing on previous experiences to maintain work-life boundaries and evaluate institutional alignment with personal values. The findings suggest that career origin influences how librarians navigate tenure expectations, and recommends mentorship programs, hybrid faculty models, and dual career ladders that recognize diverse professional backgrounds to support both groups. •Career backgrounds shape librarian faculty status debates, influencing views on tenure.•One career model shows librarians navigate three phases: challenge, balance, and authenticity.•Career origin shapes tenure views, work boundaries, and institutional loyalty for faculty-status librarians.•Study utilized Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), an emerging method for LIS research.