EVENT: Hitting the Service Ceiling: The Prohibitive Cost of Professional Development in Academic Librarianship

On 9 April, the Librarians for Equitable Professional Development (LEPD) will be hosting “a free panel discussion that centers the experiences of academic librarians as we try to navigate professional development and service amidst economic uncertainty.” From the announcement:

Join us to learn about the unacknowledged economic disparities related to professional development & service for academic librarians. We’re calling this phenomena the SERVICE CEILING. This panel is made up of academic librarians from a variety of institutions across the country who conducted a 2020 survey of 670 U.S. academic librarians on the cost of participation in professional development and service, particularly as they relate to promotion and tenure. Panelists will:

• discuss key findings from this survey,

• invite audience members to share the costs of their own participation in professional development and service, and

• offer concrete suggestions for participants to advocate for equitable professional development at their institutions.

Digital scholarship librarianship, whether focused on digital humanities or data services, varies across institutions and continues to evolve, and our work regularly requires that we learn new skills and approaches in order to support our users. The dh+lib community will likely resonate with these conversations, considering so many of the best professional development opportunities are simply cost prohibitive. Registration is required.