FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 8, 2005
CONTACT: Dan Roland (800) 552-4770
BY: Dan Roland

Findings from the Library Journal Survey of 2004 SLIM Graduates - EMPORIA, KS

Library Journal has released the results of its annual survey of recent MLS graduates to participating library and information management schools. The School of Library & Information Management at Emporia State University graduated one-hundred four persons in calendar year 2004 with the Master of Library Science degree. This compares with one-hundred seven graduates from the previous year. In 2003, seventy-six SLIM graduates participated in the survey. In 2004, the number of participants was down to fifty.

Of the fifty participants in the 2004 survey, forty-one report being currently employed, thirty-nine of which are permanent positions, and thirty-eight of those are full-time positions. In 2003, only forty-two of seventy-six participants reported being employed at the time of the survey and only thirty-four with permanent, full-time positions. The 2004 survey indicates that SLIM graduates are finding more jobs in academic and public libraries. Twenty of the 2004 participants reported employment in an academic library and fifteen in a public library compared to only seven in academic and ten in public libraries in 2003. Fifteen graduates from 2003 found employment in elementary or secondary school libraries, but that number dropped to four in 2004.

Fewer SLIM graduates took positions in Kansas in 2004. Only twelve of the forty-one participants indicating current employment had positions in Kansas compared to twenty-one of forty-two in 2003. Colorado is the second leading place of employment for SLIM graduates with eight in 2003 and six in 2004. In 2004, SLIM graduates also took positions in Oregon, North Dakota, Utah, Washington, Minnesota, Alaska, California, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Texas, and Virginia. Twenty-three graduates from 2004 reported taking positions with previous employers, up from twenty-two in 2003. Eleven obtained professional positions prior to graduation in 2004, up from eight in 2003.

Average starting salaries of SLIM graduates dipped in 2004. The average starting salary of 2004 survey participants in full-time positions was $34,994, down from $37,900 in 2003. Graduates with positions in public libraries reported starting salaries of $35,822, down from $38,023 in 2003. Graduates with positions in school libraries reported starting salaries of $36,225, down from $40,600 in 2003. Academic library position salaries declined the least to $33,895 from $34,666

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