Every academic department, program and institute has an assigned subject librarian. Usually this is someone with knowledge and/or expertise in the particular subject area. Ideally, during the interview process candidates should be scheduled for a brief library "tour" given by the subject librarian. This is a good time to ask questions about collection policies, budgets, etc. This also gives the librarian an opportunity to meet the candidates and to find out about special research interests and how best to accommodate your research neds. It also gives candidates a chance to find out whether there are things they absolutely need that they should include in their negotiations with the department chair or dean. Once you´re hired, the librarian may contact you via e-mail to insure that your immediate needs are met in terms of collections and resources. After you´re on campus try to meet with your librarian to go over policies and procedures. Usually the librarian will contact you first, but please make contact if you don´t hear anything after the first few weeks on campus. You can find "your" librarian on this web site: http://www.nd.edu/~colldev/staff.shtml#names.

Librarians administer individual faculty library funds as well as the departmental funds and any endowments for your subject. Unlike many other universities, Notre Dame actually does seem interested in acquiring for the library the things that faculty members need. It´s important to try to take advantage of the possibilities. There is a fund for women and/or gender studies. You can ask the gender studies librarian to order material or go through your subject librarian. We work together to pool funds for expensive purchases. For example, a research collection of German drama by women writers was purchased by several librarians cooperating and "pooling" library funds. Always communicate your library needs to a librarians. The libraries and the librarians are very accommodating once we know what your needs are.

At your request librarians will conduct classes for your students and assist your undergraduates and graduate students, as well as yourself, with particular research needs.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) collects data in a variety of areas on an annual basis. The overall gender balance in the 110 Canadian and US university libraries included in the 2000/2001 survey is 35.43% male and 64.57% female. The gender balance in the Notre Dame libraries is 50/50. According to ARL the overall salary for women is 93.9% that of men despite corresponding experience levels (women average 17.0 years of experience, men 16.8 years). According to the Director of Libraries (May 2001) the same salary differences exist at Notre Dame.

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b. How library faculty are different from T & R faculty

Although librarians have faculty status, they do not receive tenure and have 12-month contracts which are renewed every three years. The academic ranks for librarians are staff librarian, assistant librarian, associate librarian, and librarian. The Library´s Committee on Appointments and Promotions differs from other CAPs in that some members are appointed and some elected. An assistant librarian can be a member of CAP and participate in decisions on reappointments and promotions to or within the ranks of associate librarian and librarian. Librarians are eligible to serve on most, but not all, University committees.

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