Changes in Rural Libraries and Librarianship: A Comparative Survey

This article offers a repeat of a 2000 survey of rural librarians and how they view librarianship, libraries, and the future of both. The purpose of the 2007 survey was to look for changes and ask questions about community partnerships, staffing, and financial information. The researchers found many similarities between the surveys but a number of distinct changes in behavior and attitudes emerged. These included the shift towards viewing the library as more of a service than a repository of materials, increased dissatisfaction with pay and economic issues; an increase in MLS degree holders; and a trend towards the library being viewed as less vital to the community. The 2007 results showed that almost half of rural libraries engage in community partnerships and that the average rural librarian earns less than $12/hour and has an operating budget of less than $30,000. The changes and results are analyzed along with suggestions for future research.