Factors That Influence Male Millennials to Become Professional Librarians

Abstract

This case study investigates what prompts male Millennials to join the historically stereotyped feminized library profession. The study addresses social, cultural, economic, and/or political factors that influence male Millennials to become professional librarians; the influence of technology on male Millennials currently enrolled in library and information science (LIS) graduate programs decisions to become professional librarians; and professional stereotypes male Millennials currently enrolled in LIS graduate programs encounter. To gather data, surveys were conducted with 231 participants enrolled in 37 LIS graduate programs across the United States, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 volunteers who participated in the surveys. Findings have implications for LIS graduate program recruitment and retention practices and suggest extending the scope of literature in the areas of professional librarianship and gender roles.