Composition 

All library employees who hold a librarian appointment are voting members of the Library Faculty.   This includes continuing full-time librarians, continuing adjunct librarians, temporary full-time librarians, and temporary adjunct librarians.  It is expected that all librarians will have the MLS or equivalent degree.  In extraordinary circumstances a librarian position may be filled with a candidate lacking an MLS or equivalent.   The candidate’s contract shall include the plan for the acquisition of the MLS. In accordance with the University By-laws, only full-time permanent members of the library faculty are voting members of the University Faculty. 

Appointment, Reappointment, Termination, Promotion

Initial appointment is made by the Dean upon the recommendation of the search committee.  The candidate receives a letter outlining salary and conditions of employment.  A signed acceptance constitutes the contract.

    1. Reappointment for librarians occurs annually by way of a salary and reappointment letter from the President.  In accordance with the Faculty Personnel Policy the credentials and accomplishments of each faculty member are to be evaluated by the Dean in conjunction with the Committee on Faculty.  In the Library this is done formally every four years through the peer review process.
    2. If the Dean and the Library Committee on Faculty (LCOF) recommend termination at the conclusion of a peer review, or if a possible reason to consider termination of a librarian arises during the period between peer reviews, termination procedures outlined in the Faculty Personnel Policy, Section VI.D.2, will be followed.
    3. Promotion criteria are outlined in the Faculty Personnel Policy, Section IV.A.2.  All criteria for promotion are minimum qualifications which do not guarantee promotion to another rank.  If a librarian wishes to be considered for promotion effective July 1 of any year, the Library Committee on Faculty is notified before the prior November 1 by the librarian, supervisor, or department head.  The LCOF, in consultation with the Dean, determines eligibility.  If the librarian is eligible, the LCOF will conduct a peer review and make a recommendation to the Dean.

Creation of Library Faculty Positions

The creation of new Library faculty positions and the redefinition of existing positions as faculty positions requires the approval of the Library faculty (by majority vote) in collaboration with the Dean of the Libraries. Such votes will take place at regular Library faculty meetings, unless extraordinary circumstances require the convening of a special meeting for this purpose. 

Attainment of the MLS or other advanced degree, while certainly encouraged, does not guarantee, and should not be construed to guarantee, promotion to a faculty position.


Procedures 

The Library Faculty meets monthly during the academic year. Additional meetings may be called as necessary during the summer or between regularly scheduled meetings. Librarians are expected to attend meetings. 

Library Faculty meetings are chaired by the Dean of Libraries or his/her designee.  The Dean issues an agenda prior to the meeting after consultation with the Library Committee on Faculty. 

Recording duties rotate among faculty members.  The record is distributed and the final record is stored in the Library Faculty electronic archive. 

The size of the Faculty allows for full discussion. Decisions are usually made by consensus.  When necessary, simple parliamentary procedure may be used instead. 

Each spring the Library Faculty elects two members to the Library Committee on Faculty (See document II.5).  

Library Faculty Manual 

The Library Faculty is responsible for creating its own procedures manual in accord with the University By-Laws and Faculty Personnel Policy.  Changes to the Library Faculty Manual may be made by majority vote of the Faculty at a meeting after discussion at a prior meeting.  

Approved:  10/10/2003

Amended: 2/13/2009   

Amended 10/9/2009