Login

Publications  •  Project Statistics

Glossary  •  Schools  •  Disciplines
People Search: 
   
Title/Abstract Search: 

Dissertation Information for George Whitbeck

NAME:
- George Whitbeck
- (Alias) George W. Whitbeck

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Rutgers University (USA) (1970)

ADVISORS:
- Ralph Blasingame

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Ernest Deprospo
- Bernard Goldstein
- Richard Shoemaker
- Henry Voos

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: THE INFLUENCE OF LIBRARIANS IN LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES AS DEMONSTRATED BY THEIR ROLE IN SELECTED AREAS OF DECISION-MAKING

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of librarians in small liberal arts colleges in key areas of decision making. Those areas of decision making studied are curriculum development, budgeting, and key appointments. The perceived role of the role of the librarians, as seen by themselves and faculty members and administrators, is also given attention.


Data were collected at ten liberal arts colleges having an enrollment of between 800 and 2,000, selected randomly from the population of such colleges in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The personal interview was the chief data-gathering instrument. Interviews were conducted with the following respondents: the academic dean, chief fiscal officer, and three or four librarians at each college; and also a stratified random sample of faculty members at each college. One hundred eight-three interviews were utilized for data tabulation and analysis.


The study reveals that, in general, the librarians occupy a distinctly marginal position in regard to the key areas of decision making cited above. In the area of curriculum development, the librarians exhibit a significantly lower degree of knowledge of and interest in curricular issues than do faculty members; they are significantly less involved than faculty members in these same issues; and they, and other respondents, foresee for the most part only a passive or even nonexistent role for the library and librarians in this area.


Regarding budgetary decision making at the college, both librarians and faculty members (other than department chairmen) occupy a peripheral role. However, faculty members are significantly more involved in the budgeting process within their departments than are the staff librarians in library budgeting.


The same pattern appears in regard to key appointments at the college, with a strong contrast being apparent between the librarians and nonadministrative faculty members the one hand, and the administrators and department chairmen on the other. The latter are involved in key appointments' the former are not to any significant degree. In regard to departmental appointments, faculty respondents (other than department chairmen) report a far higher degree of involvement than do the staff librarians in professional appointments in the library.


Some evidence was accumulated that the majority of college librarians see their role as placing them primarily with the faculty rather than with the administrators, or in a separate group on campus. Some of these librarians tend, however, to feel that they are not accepted in this role by others. Approximately half the faculty and administration respondents in this study categorized the librarian’s role as being that of a faculty member. No statistically significant conclusions may be drawn from these data, however, concerning perceptions of the librarians' role.



MPACT Scores for George Whitbeck

A = 11
C = 45
A+C = 56
T = 12
G = 2
W = 11
TD = 11.5
TA = 1
calculated 2010-04-15 15:31:40

Advisors and Advisees Graph