Are Library Science Programs Preparing New Librarians? Creating a Sustainable and Vibrant Librarian Community

Recent studies show a growing sense of frustration for new library and information science (LIS) graduates who struggle to gain employment, as well as for hiring libraries who find the skills of entry-level employee candidates to be lacking. This study endeavors to discover the origins of this troubling juxtaposition by examining the perceptions of recent LIS graduates. The researchers administered a large-scale survey with over 575 respondents, analyzed and coded the data, and compared codes using a Cohen's kappa calculation. The responses indicate that LIS graduates feel that their LIS education would have been more valuable had it given them more opportunities to gain experience, more courses in technology and instruction, more guidance in which courses to take, and more mentoring opportunities with practicing information professionals.