Survey of Library Science Faculty: Experience of & Outlook for Research Funding
Description
This report offers one of the most detailed examinations to date of how recent federal funding disruptions—particularly involving the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—are affecting library science faculty across the United States.
Drawing on responses from a broad national sample of faculty across institution types, ranks, and political and demographic backgrounds, the report uncovers modest direct impacts to date but significant concern about the future of federal support for library science research.
Just a few of the report’s main findings:
The survey finds that 6.67% of respondents experienced an IMLS grant cancellation in the past six months and 2.22% experienced a reduction in grant scope or funding level.
Only 2.22% of respondents reported that a cancelled IMLS grant had been restored through court action. Although respondents offered few detailed examples, one wrote in a case involving a major USDA grant restored after litigation—highlighting that reversals do happen, even if they remain uncommon within IMLS.
51.11% say most or all IMLS cancellations are likely to endure.
Over the next five years, 53.33% expect federal funding for library science research to be lower than at the end of 2024.
Many respondents reported proactively reducing their reliance on IMLS and repositioning their research portfolios accordingly.
About the Report
The report presents extensive data tables, analysis by institutional characteristics and faculty demographics, and a rich review of open-ended commentary that illuminates how library science faculty are navigating the changing funding landscape. It includes detailed breakouts by:
Institutional ranking
Carnegie classification
Enrollment size
Academic rank
Gender, age, political views
Public vs. private sector
Teaching load
The report offers a nuanced portrait of both the current impacts of federal funding instability and the shifting strategies library science researchers are deploying in response.
Drawing on responses from a broad national sample of faculty across institution types, ranks, and political and demographic backgrounds, the report uncovers modest direct impacts to date but significant concern about the future of federal support for library science research.
Just a few of the report’s main findings:
The survey finds that 6.67% of respondents experienced an IMLS grant cancellation in the past six months and 2.22% experienced a reduction in grant scope or funding level.
Only 2.22% of respondents reported that a cancelled IMLS grant had been restored through court action. Although respondents offered few detailed examples, one wrote in a case involving a major USDA grant restored after litigation—highlighting that reversals do happen, even if they remain uncommon within IMLS.
51.11% say most or all IMLS cancellations are likely to endure.
Over the next five years, 53.33% expect federal funding for library science research to be lower than at the end of 2024.
Many respondents reported proactively reducing their reliance on IMLS and repositioning their research portfolios accordingly.
About the Report
The report presents extensive data tables, analysis by institutional characteristics and faculty demographics, and a rich review of open-ended commentary that illuminates how library science faculty are navigating the changing funding landscape. It includes detailed breakouts by:
Institutional ranking
Carnegie classification
Enrollment size
Academic rank
Gender, age, political views
Public vs. private sector
Teaching load
The report offers a nuanced portrait of both the current impacts of federal funding instability and the shifting strategies library science researchers are deploying in response.
Table of Contents
53 Pages
- Table 1.1 Over the past six months have you had a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) cancelled?
- Table 2.1 Over the past six months have you had a grant from the IMLS reduced in scope or limited to a lower funding level than initially awarded?
- Table 3.1 Over the past 6 months has an IMLS grant to which you had applied and been waiting for an answer been cancelled?
- Table 4.1 Over the past 6 months have you had an IMLS grant restored, in full or in part, definitively or temporarily, through any form of court action or finding?
- Table 5.1 Which phrase best captures your opinion of the likely course of events regarding IMLS grants?
- Table 6.1 Five years from now what do you expect?
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