Penn State librarians top research productivity list in latest five-year study

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Results from a national longitudinal study’s latest five-year assessment revealed that while peer-reviewed research productivity among academic librarians varies widely across major research universities, Penn State faculty librarians were the most productive in scholarly publishing among peer institutions analyzed, affirming a long trend of their excellence in academic scholarship.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and published in the peer-reviewed journal College & Research Libraries, examined publication output at 31 R1-classified universities — schools with the highest level of research activity — and four R2 universities, institutions with high research activity. This is the fifth wave of the study, which has assessed scholarly publishing productivity among this cohort every five years since its inception in 1993.

Penn State faculty librarians were listed highest in peer-reviewed research productivity among peer institutions in the article’s review period of 2018-22, with 80 papers published, and second among the previous period examined, 2013-17, with 66 papers published. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, also a Big Ten Academic Alliance member, was second in the 2018-22 period, with 72 papers published, and first in the 2013-17 period, with 80 papers published.

In each prior wave — including study periods of 1993-97, 1998-2002 and 2003-12 — Penn State’s librarians also were recognized as either first or second in research productivity. As noted in the article, previous studies in the series have highlighted publication of three articles in five years as a benchmark for high research productivity from an academic librarian.

“Penn State’s showing at the top of this national analysis reflects our faculty librarians’ sustained and deeply rooted commitment to research, evidence‑based practice and the advancement of academic librarianship,” said Faye A. Chadwell, dean of University Libraries and scholarly communications. “Having reached the No. 1 or No. 2 spot each time this study was conducted speaks to the robust research culture we’ve built and sustained at Penn State University Libraries. We’ve been recognized among North America’s top ranked research libraries for our investment in personnel and collections, so it’s affirming to also be acknowledged for the intellectual contributions of our faculty.”

The study noted that academic librarians’ research productivity is influenced by factors such as expectations and requirements of tenure and promotion, especially for sole authorship versus co-authorship of articles, awareness of current literature and trends and time management. During the most recent study timeframe, substantial impacts on time included abrupt and dramatic changes in higher education delivery and in managing work-from-home scenarios during the COVID-19 pandemic. These scenarios — particularly navigating and adapting to abrupt shifts toward online delivery of instruction as well as increased parental responsibilities and workloads for librarians with school-age children suddenly learning from home — resulted in a decrease in research productivity.

The study’s implications extend beyond publication counts, according to Chadwell.

“This level of scholarly productivity ensures that Penn State students and faculty benefit from library faculty who are actively shaping the future of information, not simply supporting it,” she said. Librarians’ research often focuses on information literacy, student learning outcomes, digital scholarship and equitable access to information.

Evidence-based practices developed through librarian research also can directly improve undergraduate research instruction, student critical thinking skills, graduate thesis and dissertation support and faculty research partnerships. For Penn State students, librarians’ original scholarship and their study and adoption of peers’ published research in library and information science can translate into stronger research consultations, improved classroom instruction, advances in technology-supported learning and discovery and more effective academic support services.

According to Chadwell, the study also suggests that an institution’s investment in library faculty research yields meaningful returns for the University’s research enterprise and global reputation. Strategic investments in supportive policies and infrastructure — such as Penn State’s donor-funded early career librarianships, grant support or cross-campus collaboration — are especially important to setting standards for innovation, access and impact that resonate beyond a single institution.

“For Penn State and its R1 peers, this study’s findings highlight a broader message: the structure and responsibilities of faculty librarian roles influence both scholarly impact and the academic support available to students,” Chadwell said. “It is especially noteworthy, then, that Penn State’s librarians have achieved such high and consistent levels of research productivity while balancing their academic support roles and their scholarly contributions to the field of library and information science. And as this study shows, academic librarian scholarship is not only a measure of productivity — it is also a contributor to the academic mission.”