Introduction

In colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education, the selection and appointment of librarians ranks among the most important and consequential decisions to be made. To facilitate these decisions many library administrators are turning to a consultative arrangement in the selection process. In the University of Georgia Libraries this process has been formalized by the establishment of a screening/search committee for vacant positions to be filled. Consultation through a committee solicits a breadth and range of opinion, and it facilitates objective consideration of the candidates' qualifications. It also promotes participation in the selection process by interested constituencies. Because selection is a two-way process, these goals and benefits apply to the candidates as well as to the institution. Candidates receive a clearer and more balanced view of the institution if they have the opportunity to be interviewed by several representatives of the institution. Search committees provide the opportunity for discussion, for the development of consensus among the interviewers, and for the inclusion of varied representative viewpoints. 

Planning for the search 

Upon the resignation of the faculty member, the supervisor and/or department head will discuss the position with the University Librarian and/or AUL for HR.  Hiring entry-level librarians should not be the default for filling most vacancies that occur.  The position should be evaluated with the following criteria in mind: 

1. What are the needs of the department/Libraries now? In the future? What other vacancies are there in the department? Is the position needed elsewhere within the Libraries? 
2. Is the position still needed in the same configuration as it previously existed? Should the contract position be transformed into one or more classified positions? 
3. What are the years of experience and level of expertise of the incumbent librarian? How has the position changed since it was last filled? Has consideration been given to the potential training needs of the new hire? 
4. What salary funding is available? 

The ultimate objective of the search process is to select the best possible applicant in a fair, equitable, efficient and open manner. At the University of Georgia Libraries the committee and its chair should have the following minimum composition: 

1. Supervisor of the vacant position or his/her designee
2. Representative from the functional area where the vacancy occurs
3. Representative from another functional area in the Libraries
4. An at-large member whose representation has some application to the vacant position
5. AUL for Human Resources

II. CHARGE TO THE SCREENING/SEARCH COMMITTEE

The screening/search committee reports directly to the University Librarian. For the purposes of this document that person will be referred to as the appropriate administrator. During the initial meeting the screening/search committee is instructed as to: 

1. Approximate date for submission of the committee's recommendation(s) and proposed date of appointment.
2. Form for committee's recommendation, i.e., number of finalists and/or ranked list.
3. Affirmative action/equal opportunity requirements.
4. Responsibility for documenting committee actions and for preserving those records.
5. Need for confidentiality and discretion. 
6. Any unique concerns with respect to the position. 

The screening/search committee is responsible for: 

1. Reviewing the draft position description which has been prepared by the supervisor/department head and recommending changes to it for final approval. The position description includes a full account of the responsibilities of the position and describes the educational background, experience, and competencies desired of the candidate. These, along with definitions of the screening criteria (see below), function as the standard against which candidates' qualifications are subsequently judged. In the development of these statements, care should be taken to ensure correlation among position requirements, committee and/or administrative expectations, and salary range offered. 
2. Establishing specific screening criteria based on the qualifications in the position description.
3. Developing an advertisement which clearly states whether a position is specifically entry-level or which lists a salary minimum with a qualifying statement (e.g., entry-level, salary $30,000; or minimum salary $30,000,  adjustments may be made commensurate with experience).
4. Soliciting indications of interest in internal reassignment of duties from the Libraries' faculty (see Section V below) when appropriate.
5. Ensuring that all letters of interest are reviewed fairly, equitably, and consistently.
6. Based on the letters of interest received, recommending to the appropriate administrator proceeding with the internal reassignment process or posting a position for a national search.
7. If the reassignment process is chosen, following the screening and selection process described below (see Section VI).
8. Following the interview process (see Section VII) forwarding a recommendation to the appropriate administrator to reassign or post the position nationally.
9. Continuing with the advertising, screening, selection, and interview process in the national pool as described below. 
10. Making a final recommendation for hire to the appropriate administrator. 

The AUL for Human Resources is responsible for: 

1. Appropriate documentation of the process to ensure compliance with Board of Regents policies and requirements of Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO). The AUL for Human Resources obtains affirmation that the process of reassignment or national posting meets AA/EEO requirements before posting the vacancy. 
2. Filing notification of the vacancy in the appropriate offices of the University of Georgia and in appropriate publications, taking care that all groups protected by equal opportunity/affirmative action legislation are made aware of the vacancy and that guidelines regarding salary range and closing date are adhered to.
3. Handle all paperwork for the search which includes that with the candidates, offices on campus, committee members, and appropriate administrators.
4. Acknowledging all nominations and/or applications courteously and promptly. 
5. Communicating with candidates at every stage (initial application, first screening, second screening, solicitation of further information, telephone interviews, personal interviews, etc.) to notify them of the status of their applications, any important anticipated or actual institutional changes which may affect the position, or an extension or closing of the search process
6. Conveying the hiring decision to the successful candidate and notifying other candidates regarding the outcome of the search. 

The standard method for filling all faculty vacancies is to seek a national pool. However, for positions below the level of department head, the appropriate administrators may choose to solicit interest from current regular or temporary* members of the Libraries faculty in an internal reassignment of responsibilities through a written announcement. The "Announcement of Reassignment Potential" will include a list of members of the screening committee and state a minimum salary. Responses will be accepted for a minimum of ten and a maximum of fifteen working days. All deliberations and documents of the screening committee are confidential (see Section VI). The committee's recommendation either to appoint from the pool of internal candidates or to conduct a national search will be made to the appropriate administrator. 

Potential candidates should be aware that if they are reassigned to a position mid-year, the University retains the right to approve or disapprove a salary increase if any is justifiable. If no mid-year salary increase is approved, the Libraries' Administration will make any justifiable increase as part of the normal budget process in the spring to take effect at the next salary increase time for the following  fiscal year. 

Should there be no internal reassignment, the screening committee will be automatically reconstituted as the search committee. Members of the Libraries faculty who indicated an interest in reassignment will automatically be put in the national candidate pool, unless they choose to withdraw.  Additional information will be requested from them only if the same information is requested of all applicants in the national pool. 

*Temporary members of the Libraries' faculty should indicate their interest to the AUL for Human Resources as quickly as possible. EEO/AA permission must be sought on an individual basis for the inclusion of a temporary faculty members candidacy in the internal reassignment process. 

VI. SCREENING AND SELECTION PROCESS

The screening process by its nature takes a great deal of time, especially in searches with large pools of applicants. Everything possible should be done by the screening/search committee to expedite this process so as to fill the position quickly and to lose as few candidates as possible (e.g., electronic mail, fax, etc.). A generic timetable for all searches is included in Appendix A of this document. Each committee establishes its own plan for screening and evaluating nominees and applicants consistent with those established by the University. Whatever procedures are employed, the entire committee is responsible for the legitimacy and timeliness of the process. During the entire screening and selection process, every screening/search committee member and members of the administrative chain for the position (i.e., unit head, assistant head, department head, associate university librarian, and university librarian) have full access to the names and complete files of all persons under consideration. 

All candidates, external or internal, are accorded the same treatment in the screening and interview process. Regardless of the level of position, a candidate for any position must provide 

1) letter of application/interest, 
2) resume, and
3) names and addresses of at least three references. 

Before a candidate for any position can be interviewed, references must be contacted. The committee decides the types of documentation (e.g., resume, letter of application, letters of recommendation, etc.) it will review for each candidate at each stage of the screening process.  All candidates must be judged according to the qualifications and requirements stated in the position description and as defined by the screening criteria.  The function of the initial screening is to identify and eliminate, early in the search process, applicants who are clearly unqualified.  The list of persons who remain under consideration after the initial screening should be those to whom the committee will be giving careful consideration and about whom the committee will be seeking additional information. 

Because of interview costs and the prospect of conducting fewer on-site interviews, telephone interviews may be used as an additional method of screening applicants. The telephone interview should be scheduled with the candidate in advance and the entire committee should participate in this conference call interview.  Fair, objective, consistent, and equitable processes will be used to narrow the field of candidates to those who are to be invited for interviews. 

If, at any time, the committee has further questions regarding a candidate's qualifications or experience, the committee will agree on questions to be asked of the candidates or their references by telephone. 

VII. INTERVIEWS

All interviews should be similar in scope, format, and personnel. Consideration for the candidate's personal comfort should extend throughout the interview schedule. The committee in consultation with the appropriate administrators determines the nature (breadth, length, etc.) of the interview. All individuals and groups who would interact with the successful candidate should be participants in the interview. If the screening/search committee deems it necessary, a candidate may be required to make a presentation before an appropriate audience. Tours of both the Main and Science Libraries are strongly encouraged if time permits, but at a minimum, tours should be scheduled for the library (Main or Science) in which the candidate would be working. Based on the level of the vacant position, each screening/search committee will use the hierarchy of minimal groups with whom the candidate will interview/meet listed below. However, each screening/search committee retains the flexibility to require more than the minimal requirements necessary for the level of the position.

Once the interview schedule is established, it should be put in writing and distributed to all participants in the interview and announced to the Libraries' faculty via GRAPEVINE or other appropriate means, and the resumes made available. Whenever possible, the interview schedule will be sent, along with confirmation of the interview date, to the candidate several days prior to the interview. The candidate is also provided with information on the Libraries, the University, and Athens. Changes in the date(s) of a confirmed interview should occur only as a last resort and with notification to all parties concerned. The announced schedule should be followed as closely as possible and any changes should be kept to a minimum. Any individual or formal group with whom the candidate will meet should gather before the interview and designate a chair, review the complete files of the applicants, and develop a consistent interview procedure (e.g., formal questions). 

An interview begins the moment a candidate arrives in Athens. Members of the search committee should take full advantage of opportunities to spend time with the candidate throughout the interview. Interview responsibilities include: 

1. Providing transportation for the candidate from the Athens airport to the hotel.
2. Providing transportation for the candidate from the hotel to the Libraries and returning him/her to the hotel, to the Athens airport, or to the Atlanta airport shuttle after the interview is completed. 
3. Arranging dinner the night the candidate arrives with either the department in which the vacancy occurs or with members of the search committee (dinners are reimbursed).
4. Acting as host for the candidate during the interview, i.e., providing guidance and continuity for the candidate, maintaining the timetable, and offering a tour of the Athens area. 
5. Organizing a lunch group that includes at least one member of the search committee (lunches are reimbursed). 
6. Conducting a tour of the Libraries.

VIII. RECOMMENDATION OF CANDIDATE(S) FOR HIRE

Any individual or formal group interacting with the candidate should submit a written report to the chair of the screening/search committee by a predetermined date. The chair of the screening/search committee should solicit feedback from persons interacting with the candidate during the interview process who have not been required to submit a written report (e.g., tour leaders, lunch participants, etc.) 

The committee shall evaluate with all deliberate speed the information concerning the candidates in order to make their final recommendation to the appropriate administrator. The recommendation of the screening/search committee shall be made in writing and should include a ranked list of all candidates, whether they are acceptable or unacceptable, and how the candidates meet or fail to meet the qualifications specified in the position description. This recommendation should be accompanied by all other written reports. If the administrator disagrees with the recommendation of the screening/search committee, he/she will meet with the committee before taking any action. 

IX. THE OFFER

Although final decisions concerning hiring are the responsibility of the University Librarian, the department head and/or supervisor are involved in the details surrounding the job offer. Involvement includes both access to information and input into decision-making at each stage of the process. 

1. General salary information should be shared with the department head and/or supervisor to facilitate setting the salary for a new hire in the context of other salaries in the department, years of experience, etc. 
2. Persons involved in salary negotiations may wish to take the following factors into account: previous professional experience; previous relevant paraprofessional experience of a substantial and highly responsible nature; advanced degrees beyond the MLS; regional salary levels; size of candidate pool; cost and effort of reopening a search vs. acceptability of candidate(s) 
3. Copies of the formal letter of offer to the candidate are sent to the supervisor, department head, and anyone else in the administrative chain. 

Librarians who resign from the Libraries to take positions elsewhere or who are internally reassigned within the Libraries are expected to provide one month's notice before leaving or changing responsibilities. Deviations from this standard will be negotiated between the appropriate parties as necessary. 

X. ANNOUNCEMENT OF APPOINTMENT

Upon selection of a candidate and his/her formal acceptance in writing, the AUL for Human Resources writes all other active candidates notifying them that the position has been filled. After written acceptance of the position, the appointment is announced via the Libraries UPDATE published on GRAPEVINE. The appointment is announced locally and/or nationally as deemed necessary. At the first faculty meeting after he/she begins employment, the supervisor will introduce the new faculty member and provide a brief biographical background. 

XI. EXTENDING SEARCHES

All active candidates are notified of the intention to extend the search and to readvertise the position should the committee be unable to reach a decision based upon the applications received or should desired qualifications be changed during the search process.

XII. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Committee members should be receptive to all staff and outside comments, but all statements emanating from the committee are the responsibility of the chair. References are solicited from individuals whose names are provided by the applicant, and the contents shall be held in strict confidence within the committee. Candidates who apply for a position should secure the permission of referees before listing them. Additional professional references may also be consulted for those candidates in whom the committee is seriously interested. Upon request, the candidates are entitled to a full list of those individuals from whom references have been solicited. 

XII. MINORITY RECRUITMENT

Minority recruitment is always a pressing issue. As a rule, all positions are advertised in traditionally black colleges and universities (e.g., Clark-Atlanta University and North Carolina Central University). When other avenues of minority recruitment are identified they will be fully explored. If at any time during the search minority candidates are identified, they should be kept in the pool of candidates as long as possible. 

XII. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

The AUL for Human Resources, as EEO/AA Coordinator for the Libraries, documents committee proceedings and actions and files the necessary reports. After the position is filled and all necessary reports are filed, the AUL for Human Resources reviews the committee files and retains the records specified by the University Affirmative Action procedures. Personal materials (i.e., books, media, folios, etc.) supplied by applicants or other sources should be returned if requested. 

XIII. CONCLUSION OF SEARCH

After its work has been completed, the screening/search committee is disbanded.

The original search committee document is based on "Guidelines and Procedures for the Screening and Appointment of Academic Librarians", College & Research Libraries News, No. 38 (Sept. 1977); an official copy of the ALA Association of College & Research Libraries. It applies only to searches to fill vacant positions on the Faculty and not to screening candidates for internal assignments of responsibility. On December 8, 1992, the Libraries Faculty approved the recommendation of the ad hoc Faculty Hiring Practices Committee to merge the two documents "Screening Procedures for Internal Reassignment of Librarians" (approved by Management Council May 19, 1989 and "University of Georgia Libraries Search Committee Guidelines" (Revised August 1991) to become "University of Georgia Libraries Screening/Search Committee Guidelines." The merging and revising of these documents will ensure that the procedures for filling faculty vacancies, whether by internal means or by means of national search, are free of inconsistencies. 

See the University of Georgia "Procedure for Affirmative Action Recruitment".