Native Faculty in Library and Information Science, 1990–2022

We assessed the representation of Native faculty in LIS programs from 1990 to 2022. We comparative representation in LIS against trends in postsecondary education in the U.S. We utilized ALISE and federal data sources. We found that in both fields, Native faculty held lower ranking positions, predominantly as assistant professors. We also revealed that the quantity of Native LIS faculty was extremely low throughout the period assessed, with the possibility of a very few outlier LIS programs driving national statistics. Our study suggests that factors affecting representation of Native faculty in LIS might be similar to those in postsecondary education.