MISSING VOICES�DATA GAPS, LIBRARY WORKERS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE

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CALC 2026

INTRODUCTIONS

DEFINITIONS &�TERMINOLOGY

WHAT IS A DATA GAP?

The gender data gap

• Gender data gaps occur “both because we don’t collect the data in the first place and because when we do we don’t usually separate it by sex” (p.xiv).
• “Not generally malicious, or even deliberate” (p.xii)
• “A type of unthinking that conceives of humanity as almost exclusively male…it distorts the supposedly objective data that increasingly rule our lives” (p.xv)

CANADIAN LIBRARY CONTEXT

Librarian

• The term “library technician” refers to an individual who has completed a recognized diploma program at a college or university in Canada (CFLA,2026)

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• A master's degree in library science or a master's degree in library and information studies or a master's degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association is required.

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Library Technician

Library Assistants and Clerks

• Completion of secondary school is usually required
• * University libraries will often require an undergraduate degree

ALA - LIBRARY SUPPORT STAFF RESOURCE CENTRE

Who are "library support staff"?

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• "Library support staff, or library paraprofessionals, are involved in all library operations at all levels. They may manage libraries or they may contribute very specialized expertise in some specific field. They may engage in routine activities or supervise and direct other staff."

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What are they called?

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• "What to call support staff is as perplexing a problem as pinning down a job description. They are called library assistants, paraprofessionals, non-MLS staff, paralibrarians, and more. We have even seen the terms "non-professionals" and "sub-professionals." While no consensus has yet formed on a name for this group, support staff are solidly against these last two labels. They do not reflect the dedication and talent workers bring to their jobs."

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

“They [all] describe what I am not. None of them describe what I am.”

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WHAT IS YOUR JOB TITLE?

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SCOPING REVIEW � INITIAL PLAN

• Anecdotal evidence of disparities across types of libraries and types of workers,
• Personal experience of communication barriers/ enablers,
• Interested in finding out more,
• Wanted to practice using Covidence and completing a review from start to finish.

AND THEN CAME COVID

• We noticed that lines of communication were changing,�
• Made visible some of the disparities between library workers,�
• In our workplaces, policies around remote work were different for different staff groups after the lockdowns were lifted.

SCOPING REVIEW QUESTIONS

Question

How have remote and hybrid work policies developed since the start of the covid-19 pandemic been implemented across employee groups in libraries?

Follow-up questions

• How have these changes impacted communication between library employee groups or teams?
• What are the barriers to effective knowledge sharing in libraries?
• What are the best strategies/workplace conditions to encourage/enable effective knowledge sharing in libraries?

SCOPING REVIEW PROCESS

Build A Systematic Search Strategy

• Concepts: library staff and remote work
• Publication date: 2020 onwards

Search multiple databases

• Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts - EBSCO
• Ovid MEDLINE
• Information Science Collection - Gale
• Library Science Database - ProQuest
• ERIC - EBSCO
• Science Direct
• Web of Science

SCREENING PROCESS

CHALLENGES

• However, we did notice some interesting research trends

LACK OF INFORMATION (N=102)

LACK OF CLARITY

LACK OF DISAGGREGATED DATA

LIBRARY DATA GAP

• This all results in huge data gaps
• The voices of many library workers are lost
• As mentioned, these data gaps are neither deliberate nor malicious
• They result in incomplete and inaccurate information about libraries as workplaces

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IMPACT OF DATA GAPS

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“Staff should be invited to collaborate on committees and library initiatives, and at the very least, included in any discussions about potential library changes in ways that amplify their ideas and voices.” (Glusker et al., 2022)

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I think that the opinions and ideas of library technicians (who are usually the first point of contact for library users) are often discounted or ignored by librarians and library management teams …This can create tension, because while librarians often make the decisions about service, library technicians deal with the day to day effectiveness of such decisions.”

(Hill, 2014).

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IMPACT OF DATA GAPS

Recognition

Working Relationships

Decision Making

Staffing

DISCUSSION

What are some ways we can promote and advocate for the various library staff roles in our own workplaces?

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SUGGESTIONS & GUIDELINES

GUIDELINES FOR FUTURE RESEARCHERS

• Clearly define terms
• Use terms consistently
• If data is collected from more than one employee group, report results for each group
• Think about who is included in, or missing from, your participant pool and the impact this will have

GUIDELINES FOR WORKPLACES

• Look for opportunities to work together e.g. diverse committees
• Build communication between different groups
• Foster learning opportunities for all staff

CONCLUSION

• Data disaggregation matters,

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• Unheard voices in the research literature reflect workplace inequities,

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• We all have a role to play in improving communication in our workplaces.

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QUESTIONS?

RECOMMENDED READINGS

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Hill, C. (2014). The professional divide: examining workplace relationships between librarians and library technicians. The Australian Library Journal, 63(1), 23-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049670.2014.890020

Glusker, A., Emmelhainz, C., Estrada, N., & Dyess, B. (2022). “Viewed as Equals”: The Impacts of Library Organizational Cultures and Management on Library Staff Morale. Journal of Library Administration, 62(2), 153–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2022.2026119

Vela, S. (2018). Knowledge Management, Diversity, and Professional Hierarchies in Libraries. Journal of Library Administration, 58(8), 835–860. https://doi-org.libproxy.wlu.ca/10.1080/01930826.2018.1516950

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REFERENCES

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American Library Association. Library Support Staff Resource Center: overview of library support staff. Retrieved November 28, 2024, from https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/overview_of_library_support_staff

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Canadian Federation of Library Associations. (n.d.).Guidelines for the education of Library Technicians Retrieved April 15, 2026, from https://cfla-fcab.ca/en/guidelines-and-position-papers/guidelines-for-the-education-of-library-technicians/​

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Criado Perez, C. (2019). Invisible Women: Data bias in a world designed for men. Abrams Press

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Glusker, A., Emmelhainz, C., Estrada, N., & Dyess, B. (2022). “Viewed as Equals”: The Impacts of Library Organizational Cultures and Management on Library Staff Morale. Journal of Library Administration, 62(2), 153–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2022.2026119​

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REFERENCES CONTINUED

Government of Canada. 2026, March, 17. Job Bank. Librarian in Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2026 from https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/summary-occupation/5263/ca

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Government of Canada. 2026, March, 17. Job Bank. Library Technician in Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2026 from https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/summary-occupation/5263/ca

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Government of Canada. 2026, March, 17. Job Bank. On Call Library Assistant in Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2026 from https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/summary-occupation/5263/ca

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Hill, C. (2014). The professional divide: examining workplace relationships between librarians and library technicians. The Australian library journal, 63(1), 23-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049670.2014.890020 

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Schilperoort, H., Quezada, A., & Lezcano, F. (2021). Words matter: interpretations and implications of “para” in paraprofessional. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 109(1), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2021.933

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