ARLIS/NA 48th Annual Conference

Who’s at work as an academic art librarian? Some of our jobs require subject-specific degrees in addition to an MLIS, others don't. Some jobs provide faculty status and are even on the tenure-track with scholarship expectations, others are classed as staff. Does being faculty allow you to be a better advocate for your library? Does being staff allow you to have more flexibility in defining your role? Do you read position postings and think, "Wow, this seems like three different jobs?" This panel will present individual academic librarian experiences as well as highlight information gathered as part of the 2019 State of Academic Art Libraries Report, exploring how these variations in job requirements and shifts in position responsibilities impact who is able to work in our libraries, and how this promotes or inhibits our professional goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Centering our discussion on art and architecture librarians as subject specialists, and the ways this impacts teaching and learning, we will address current trends and opportunities in the field, as well as explore avenues to advocate within one's personal context. Come prepared to learn, engage, and leave ready to put ideas into action.