Approved: March 29, 1996
Amended and Approved: September 13, 1996
Amended and Approved: June 4, 2002
Amended and Approved: Feb. 7, 2003
ELABORATIONS ON PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF THE
LIBRARY FACULTY
Table of Contents
I. Academic Librarianship: A Context
II. Criteria for Performance Reviews
III. Guidelines for Application of Criteria for Reappointment
IV. Guidelines for Application of Criteria for Promotion
V. Guidelines for Application of Criteria for Continuing Appointment
VI. Procedures for Performance Review
VII. Guidelines for Performance Review File Preparation
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I. Academic Librarianship: A Context
Librarians support the instructional, research and public services goals of the college.
Their responsibilities have a direct bearing on the quality of undergraduate and graduate
education. The work of academic librarians is varied and specialized. It is organized
around the categories of interpretation of the collection, instruction in its use,collection
development, bibliographic organization, and access to information. Librarian
participation in faculty governance and academic planning on all levels underscores the
Library's presence as an intellectual center of the campus.
Although academic librarians have a variety of individual responsibilities related to the
organization and management of library functions, they share in a set of core
responsibilities. These are collection development, information services, and library
instruction programs. Core responsibilities in collection development involve liaison
responsibilities to particular departments; in information services they include reference
and research assistance, and in instruction they consist of teaching sections of Library 101
and course-related sessions. In addition, all librarians participate in management
structures that are responsible for managing existing library services, collections and
programs, and planning and implementing new services and programs. New technologies
and automation require greater knowledge of current developments in librarianship and
information science, as well as collaboration and sharing of responsibilities that cross
traditional organizational divisions. The text below describes the management structures
of the library and the intellectual dimensions of these areas.
A. Access Services: Librarians are responsible for creating an environment
for users that encourages serious study, provides easy physical access to
materials, makes users comfortable asking questions and using services,
and promotes self-sufficiency. Librarians in Access Services play a crucial
role in integrating new information technologies into existing services
through knowledgeable use of networks, automation, and effective
communication with users by developing the structures and organization
for efficient access to local materials and those acquired through resource
sharing. Librarians also play a leading role in providing users with new
forms of rapid access to information through document delivery programs,
electronic interlibrary loan and copy services.
B. Collection Development and Management: Librarians are responsible for
providing information resources in all formats for the campus community
by allocating and managing library materials budgets, and selecting,
acquiring, cataloging and processing all resources via the library
management system. Librarians involved in collection development need
to possess a thorough knowledge of the curriculum and research
requirements of academic departments, as well as an understanding of the
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processes of scholarship and scholarly communication. Librarians need to
possess the expertise needed to ensure that all materials are organized by
appropriate schema, classifications, and groupings, using automated
systems that integrate operations such as cataloging, acquisitions, and
serials control. Our fully integrated electronic information environment
requires librarian expertise in the planning, development, implementation
and maintenance of systems including the relationship between local
automated library systems and remote sites, networks, and bibliographic
utilities, such as OCLC—relationships that are essential if users are to take
advantage of new research options made available by the latest
information technologies.
C. Information Outreach: Librarians help users to identify resources, assist
them with the use of these resources, and teach users how to find, evaluate
and use resources whether available locally or remotely, through a variety
of services, such as reference work, individual reference interviews,
outreach to users, development of guides and user interfaces to resources.
Librarians engaged in reference services provide the interpretive link
between an information problem, its analysis and ultimate solution.
Librarians with reference expertise make intelligible for users an
information environment that is constantly expanding and changing.
Librarians lead in outreach efforts to the college community.
D. Instructional Services: Librarians engaged in instructional services are
crucial to the process of fostering independent and intelligent use of library
resources, search and retrieval systems and networks, so that users develop
a critical understanding of how the products of research are to be evaluated
and used. Instructional activities include analyzing problems at an
information desk, producing guides for users, providing formal library
instruction, or helping users adapt to changing forms of electronic access.
Librarians lead in the development and assessment of campus information
literacy courses, workshops and course-related instruction sessions,
supporting students, faculty and staff in their academic and lifelong
learning endeavors.
E. Special Collections: Most libraries place materials unique in form and
content in separate collections. These materials often require a special
approach to their selection, organization, interpretation and access.
Development of Special Collections holdings, for example, focuses on
local and regional materials, and administration of the College Archives.
Knowledge of special library methods for preserving, conserving,
organizing, creating access tools, and reformatting (including digitally)
these often unique or rare materials plays an important role in creating and
maintaining the conditions for public access. Equally important is the
ability to interpret the unique place of these materials in the college
curriculum and their value to the community, and to provide instruction in
their use. Librarian expertise is critical in developing the policies to strike
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a balance between preservation requirements and the needs for public
access.
The combination of individual responsibilities, core responsibilities, shared activities, and
general faculty commitments needs to be kept in mind during the evaluation process so
that a librarian can be evaluated on the basis of her or his total contribution to the library
and the college.
II. Criteria for Performance Reviews
The criteria for evaluation from the Policies of the Board of Trustees and Performance
Reviews of Academic Employees: Policies and Procedures have been enhanced to reflect
the contributions of librarians, whose contributions differ in kind and emphasis from
those of traditional teaching faculty. Librarians have a twelve month contractual
obligation to provide library service. Librarians' contributions to the profession must be
judged on a variety of individual and cooperative achievements. Library service, rather
than classroom instruction or research and publications, must be the primary factor in
evaluating librarians' contributions to the college's mission.
The criteria are to be used as a basis when evaluating librarians for reappointment,
promotion and continuing appointment. It is not intended that each library faculty
member meet all the representative measures given below, but only those most relevant to
the individual's contributions as a librarian and to the responsibilities required of that
individual by the library.
1. CRITERIA
a) Mastery of Subject Matter--as demonstrated by such things as advanced degrees,
licenses, honors, fellowships, scholarships or awards, or reputation in the field of
librarianship.
Librarians also may demonstrate mastery of subject matter in another subject field(s) by
such things as advanced degrees, licenses, honors, fellowships, scholarships or awards, or
reputation in the subject matter field.
b) Effectiveness of Teaching--as demonstrated by such things as development of
classroom teaching materials; development of guides, publications, training programs or
workshops; work at the Reference Desk; professional consultations; and student/patron
reaction, as determined from evaluation documents, surveys or interviews, or observation
of public reference work.
c) Effectiveness in Librarianship and Scholarly Ability--with the expansion of the
criterion for scholarly ability to reflect the Boyer principles, much of a librarian's work
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previously defined as professional effectiveness now falls into the category of scholarly
ability.
This criterion is demonstrated by such things as success in developing, carrying out or
providing library services; performing significant research in the field of librarianship;
contributing to the profession of librarianship through publications or presentations to
professional organizations; providing professional consultation; or reputations among
colleagues.
Effectiveness as a librarian requires an understanding of the various operations and
services of the library and the ability to interpret and integrate them, identify and analyze
problem areas, offer constructive suggestions and promote satisfactory solutions.
It also requires the ability to communicate and cooperate effectively with library staff,
library and other faculty, students and administrators in advancing the priorities and
fulfilling the objectives of the library, its management structures , its Division, and the
college.
d) Effectiveness of University Service--as demonstrated by such things as college,
University, public service, committee work, administrative work and work with students
or community in addition to formal teacher-student relationships.
e) Continuing Growth--as demonstrated by such things as professional reading, research,
attendance at or participation in professional organizations, conferences, workshops or
other formal professional activities to keep abreast of current developments in
librarianship; and successfully handling increased responsibility, including
demonstration of creativity and initiative in the accomplishment of professional
responsibilities.
Examples of continuing growth may include work towards or completion of additional
advanced degrees, graduate courses, attendance at professional workshops and
conferences.
III. Guidelines for Application of Criteria for Reappointment
Candidates for reappointment in rank are expected to meet the criteria for that rank as
noted below.
IV. Guidelines for Application of Criteria for Promotion in Rank
The representative measures below indicate the type and level of accomplishment
desirable in the various ranks. These measures are guidelines for evaluating candidates
for promotion to specific ranks. Candidates should use the measures as a guide and not as
a checklist of prescribed goals.
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All ranks require a Master's degree in Library Science from an accredited school. This
degree is defined as an A.L.A. accredited degree, a pre-1948 American or Canadian BLS,
a Fellow of the Library Association of Great Britain or other library and information
science degrees from any country as long as the awarding institution has been accredited
by the appropriate association or agencies. We support the Statement on the Terminal
Professional Degree for Academic Librarians: "The Master's degree in
library science from a library school accredited by the American Library Association is
the appropriate terminal professional degree for academic librarians." (Approved as
policy by the Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a
division of the American Library Association, on January 23, 1975. Reaffirmed by the
ACRL Board of Directors, June, 2001. www.ala.org/acrl/)
A. Assistant Librarian
Assistant Librarian is the rank used when an academic employee lacks the credentials for
appointment as a Senior Assistant Librarian—i.e., absent a finished terminal degree, or
absent minimal experience in fields traditionally requiring a terminal master’s degree plus
experience.
The initial appointment normally should be for one year and reappointments normally for
not more than one year each. Appointments for those who need additional time to
complete the terminal degree should be in qualified rank. Qualified rank would enable
academic employees sufficient time after the terminal degree but prior to the decision on
continuing appointment in which to build credentials for the appraisal criteria and
authorized elaborations permitted by this document. (Performance Review of Academic
Employees: Policies and Procedures, 2nd ed., July 1997 p. 28)
B. Senior Assistant Librarian
Senior Assistant Librarian is the appropriate rank for an academic employee appointed
with the terminal degree or its equivalent and fewer than five years’ experience. The
“terminal degree” is a doctorate in most academic disciplines, but may be the master’s in
certain applied and studio fields.
The initial appointment is normally for one or two years with exceptions considered by
the College President, or designee, on an individual basis. Reappointments may be for a
period of one, two, or three years; normally the maximum number of years granted for a
reappointment is two. This policy of one and two year reappointments is to encourage the
individual and the department to review the individual’s progress toward continuing
appointment on a regular basis. (Performance Review of Academic Employees: Policies
and Procedures, 2nd ed., July 1997 p. 28)
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The following are the expectations for evaluation for reappointment and/or tenure.
1. Mastery of Subject Matter: Demonstrates solid background in library and information
services through intelligent application of this background to core responsibilities.
2. Effectiveness of Teaching: Demonstrates strong performance of core responsibilities of
teaching and reference through a description of one's own teaching style/philosophy,
summary of students' evaluations, samples of assignments and/or student work, guides
and peer evaluation of reference desk activities.
3. Effectiveness in Librarianship and Scholarly Ability: Demonstrates strong performance
of core responsibility of unit work and in areas of expertise or unit coordination ,
through qualified peer evaluation; demonstrates evidence of initiative and creativity in
these activities; contributes to the library and librarianship through special projects, grant
activity, presentations or publications including development of electronic access
tools/guides, provides library services directly or through coordination of library unit(s).
4. Effectiveness of University Service: Assumes collegial responsibilities by service to
college, university or community.
5. Continuing Growth: Contributes to the library and librarianship through reading,
research, attendance at professional conferences, workshops related to improvement of
librarianship; keeps abreast of current developments in core areas of responsibility and/or
special area of expertise; demonstrates willingness to accept increased responsibility.
C. Associate Librarian
a. Appointed without Continuing Appointment
Appointment as Associate Librarian without continuing appointment may be
appropriate for the experienced teacher, or librarian with the terminal degree or
equivalent and usually with at least five years of full-time teaching or library
experience at the rank of Senior Assistant Librarian or equivalent elsewhere, or at
least ten years of appropriate professional experience (e.g., consulting engineer,
business executive certified public accountant) elsewhere. Cumulative
appointments as Associate Librarian without continuing appointment are limited
to a maximum of three years by Policies of the Board of Trustees, State
University of New York, Article XI, Title B, Section 3 (a).
b. Appointed with Continuing Appointment
Appointment as Associate Librarian with continuing appointment is appropriate
for the experienced teacher or librarian who has held tenure elsewhere, generally
for several years. Continuing appointment is recommended by the College
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President and granted by the Chancellor.” (Performance Review of Academic
Employees: Policies and Procedures, 2nd ed., July 1997 p. 28-29.)
1. Mastery of Subject Matter: Demonstrates significant mastery of library and information
services through receipt of local honors, awards, reputation in this field. It may be
supplemented by demonstration of mastery of other subject areas.
2. Effectiveness of Teaching: Demonstrates significant, strong performance of core
responsibilities of teaching and reference through a description of one's teaching
style/philosophy, summary of students' evaluations, samples of assignments and/or
student work, guides, classroom materials and peer evaluation of reference desk
activities.
3. Effectiveness in Librarianship and Scholarly Ability: Demonstrates significant, strong
performance of core responsibility of group work and in areas of expertise or
coordination of unit or programs through qualified peer evaluation; demonstrates
significant initiative and creativity in these responsibilities and ability to assume
increased responsibility in core areas or areas of specialization/facilitation; continues and
expands contributions to library and librarianship through special projects, grant awards
or publication in regional or state publications, including development of electronic
access tools/guides.
4. Effectiveness of University Service: Demonstrates significant, strong service to the
college, university or community.
5. Continuing Growth: Contributes significantly to the library and librarianship through
demonstration of research projects, participation in professional conferences and/or
contributions to growth of self and colleagues in core areas of responsibility and/or
special area of expertise; demonstrates ability to assume increased responsibility.
D. Librarian
a. Appointed Without Continuing Appointment
Appointed as a Librarian without continuing appointment is appropriate for the
long experienced teacher or librarian with the terminal degree or its equivalent
and usually at least five years of full-time teaching or library experience at the
rank of Associate Librarian or equivalent or higher rank elsewhere. Cumulative
appointments as a Librarian without continuing appointment are limited to a
maximum of three years by Policies of the Board of Trustees, State University
of New York, Article XI, Title B, Section 3 (a).
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b. Appointment With Continuing Appointment
Appointment as a Librarian with continuing appointment is appropriate for the
long experienced teacher or librarian who has held the rank of Librarian at a
comparable institution. Continuing appointment is recommended by the College
President and granted by the Chancellor. (Performance Review of Academic
Employees: Policies and Procedures, 2nd ed., July 1997 p.29)
1. Mastery of Subject Matter: Demonstrates superior mastery of library and information
services through receipt of state or national honors and awards; demonstrates reputation
in field beyond the regional level and/or completes additional advanced degree in
appropriate field. This may be supplemented by demonstration of mastery of other subject
areas.
2. Effectiveness of Teaching: Demonstrates superior performance in core responsibilities
of teaching and reference through a description of one's teaching style/philosophy,
summary of students' evaluations, samples of assignments and/or student work, guides,
classroom materials and peer evaluation of reference desk activities.
3. Effectiveness in Librarianship and Scholarly Ability: Demonstrates superior
performance of core responsibility of group work and in areas of expertise or
coordination of unit or programs through qualified peer evaluation; demonstrates
excellence through leadership and/or completion of new programmatic initiatives;
excellence in ability to carry out increased responsibility in core areas or area of
specialization/coordination; demonstration of evidence in excellence in contributions to
library and librarianship through significant special projects, grant awards, electronic
access tools/guides, or publications beyond the state level.
4. Effectiveness of University Service: Demonstrates leadership in service to college,
university or community.
5. Continuing Growth: Makes major contributions to the library and librarianship through
demonstration of superior performance in research projects; leadership in professional
organizations and/or major contributions to growth of self and colleagues in core areas of
responsibility and/or area of expertise; demonstrated leadership in areas of increased
responsibility.
E. Distinguished Librarian
The process for promotion to the Distinguished Librarian rank follows policies,
procedures, practices, and guidelines promulgated by the Chancellor of the State
University of New York, and provisions, if any, in the Agreement Between UUP and the
State of New York.
Details on this rank are available on the SUNYLAweb page. (www.sunyla.org)
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F. Qualified Academic Appointment and Ranks
(Qualified academic ranks do not accrue time toward consideration for continuing
appointment.)
1. Lecturer
The Lecturer rank is an appropriate qualified academic rank for academic employees not
otherwise qualified for appointment to the rank of Assistant Librarian or above. The rank
of Lecturer should be used for:
a. A member of the faculty, generally part-time, who plays an important role in the
academic program and whose appointment might thus be continued on a regular
basis, but whose qualifications are not appropriate for appointment as a Senior
Assistant Librarian. Such appointments are not common, but might be found, for
example, in the modern language department, where a native-born speaker of a
language might provide particularly valuable instruction in conversation courses,
or in an applied department for which the services of a particular trade or
profession are essential and which are not easily provided by a regular member of
that department. On-going, part-time appointments for which qualified rank is
appropriate, but to which a member brings full qualifications for regular academic
appointment, may be handled more appropriately with adjunct appointments,
described below.
b. A full-time member of the faculty who is appointed with the expectation of
eventual appointment to regular academic rank, but who is two or more years
away from the appropriate terminal degree. Normally, no more than two one-year
appointments may be granted to such cases, after which time the faculty member,
if reappointed, should be appointed to academic rank, which accrues time toward
consideration for continuing appointment. (Performance Review of Academic
Employees: Policies and Procedures, 2nd ed., July 1997 p. 29-30)
2. Visiting Librarian
Visiting Librarians are temporary appointments at rank appropriate to their prior
professional experience. Their evaluations are based on criteria for their rank as described
above, A. through D.
A visiting appointment is appropriate for an academic employee whose appointment at
SUNY Plattsburgh is for no more than two years. The visiting academic employee
normally will hold whatever academic rank was held in the primary college or university;
but, a visiting faculty member coming from a non-academic post will be given an
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appointment commensurate with status and experience. This rank will be used for a full
time or part-time academic employee on a short-term appointment employed to perform
all or part of a professional obligation of a regular academic employee. A common use of
the visiting title is for replacement or an academic employee on leave.
3. Adjunct Librarian
Adjunct Librarians are temporary or term appointments, based on length of service.
Evaluations of these librarians are based exclusively on the responsibilities they perform,
as outlined in their contract, consistent with the Performance Reviews of Academic
Employees.1
An adjunct appointment is appropriate for an academic employee whose credentials are
similar to those in regular academic ranks, but whose primary employment is usually
elsewhere, and whose part-time status at the College is potentially on-going as opposed to
the short-term, part-time appointment more appropriately made at the Lecturer rank.
Adjunct appointments may or may not be compensated. Adjunct faculty are often
professionals (journalists, lawyers, architects, engineers) whose contribution to the
College is enhanced by the primary external affiliation, and who may thus be regularly
reappointed. Adjunct academic employees may also be professional employees or
management/confidential employees at the College who do not hold academic rank, but
who may participate with some regularity in the curricula/degree programs. The academic
rank of an adjunct appointment should be commensurate with terminal degree,
experience, and status.
V. Guidelines for Application of Criteria for Continuing Appointment
The criteria for continuing appointment (tenure) are closely allied to the criteria for
promotion in academic rank. The relationship between tenure and rank shall be the same
for library faculty as for other faculty in the institution.
VI. Procedures for Performance Review
A. Library Performance Review Schedule and Process2
1. Librarians up for reappointment , continuing appointment, or promotion shall
submit their Review File to the Academic Supervisor according to the schedule set forth
in the annual campus Performance Review Calendar3
2. The Library Peer Review Group shall meet one or more times to form a
recommendation on each individual under performance review.
B. Appeal Process
1
Performance Reviews of Academic Employees: Policies and Procedures: (2 nd edition, July 1997)
Current Agreement between UUP and the State of New York (Articles 30, 31, 32)
3
Annual memo from the Presidents, “Performance Review Calendar”
2
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Individuals may initiate the Optional Review Procedure (except for promotion for
Librarian) outlined in the Performance Reviews of Academic Employees Performance
Agreement (Article III.12)4
VII. Guidelines for Performance Review File Preparation
1. The individual's Review File should reflect a fair, comprehensive, clearly arranged and
organized representation of accomplishments and performance.
Refer to the Performance Review of Library Faculty for an elaboration of academic
criteria, and to the Performance Reviews of Academic Employees agreement. (Articles
V.1) for specific file preparation guidelines.
Consult the documents listed below for complete, official details on timing, requirements
and rights of all concerned.
4
Performance Reviews of Academic Employees: Policies and Procedures: (2 nd edition, July 1997)