144 - Pandemic Transitions: The Impact of COVID-19 on Hiring and Onboarding in Academic Libraries

Objectives: To explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected hiring and onboarding practices in academic libraries.

Methods: An embedded mixed-methods approach, utilizing grounded theory, was used to develop an online survey to identify changes that occurred in hiring and onboarding practices in academic libraries resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were hiring managers (including human resources staff, library administration, search committee chairs, or library supervisors) in an academic library setting. Invitations to participate were sent to multiple academic library listservs and social media groups.

Results: Results will be analyzed to determine trends in hiring and onboarding practices across a range of institutions from March 2020 - to the present. Researchers anticipate recording trends concerning geographic location, institution type, interview length, interview modality (virtual, in-person, hybrid), collaboration tools, and overarching onboarding practices.

Conclusions: The authors plan to investigate the impact of COVID on the hiring and onboarding practices in academic libraries. While much has been written regarding individual or institutional experiences, this project looks at the collective effect COVID-19 had on library practices of hiring and onboarding. Understanding these developments and trends will help both job-seekers and library administration to prepare for a post-COVID future.