A Study of Employee Turnover of Full Time Public Librarians in Moderately-Large and Large Size Public Libraries in Seven Midwestern States
Rubin, Richard Evan
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/69495
Description
Title
A Study of Employee Turnover of Full Time Public Librarians in Moderately-Large and Large Size Public Libraries in Seven Midwestern States
Author(s)
Rubin, Richard Evan
Issue Date
1987
Department of Study
Library Science
Discipline
Library Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Library Science
Abstract
Business and industry have long recognized the importance of studying employee turnover as a measure of organizational health. Unfortunately, libraries have been slow to recognize the importance of studying this type of employee movement. The purpose of this study is to begin the process of analyzing turnover in public libraries by systematically collecting, summarizing, and analyzing turnover activity in selected public libraries in the Midwest. Emphasis in this study is placed in two areas: (1) establishing base-line data on turnover rates for public libraries; and (2) analyzing differences in turnover rates and turnover behavior based on gender.
Data were obtained from a sample of thirty-one public libraries and 421 individual turnovers for a period beginning January 1, 1980, and ending December 31, 1984. The data gathered for individual turnovers included gender, tenure, age, salary, marital status, possession of a master's degree in library science, job title, reason for leaving and destination after quitting. The data gathered for the institutions included size of staff, number of hires (both male and female), whether an employee union was present, service population, budget per capita, percent of budget spent on personnel, and beginning salary.
The data revealed that the turnover rates of full time librarians are low compared to other professions. In addition, no statistical difference in the turnover rates of males and females could be found. This finding is not consistent with the stereotype that females have higher turnover rates due to the conflicting demands of job and family. Analysis of the reasons why employees leave does suggest that females are more likely to leave their jobs for family reasons than their male counterparts, but that overall, their rate of leaving is no greater than males. Similarly, analysis revealed that gender is not a good predictor of why librarians leave their jobs.
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