The Faculty Librarian: A New Chapter in Academic Trajectories

This study examines the evolving academic trajectories of librarians designated as faculty in Philippine State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). Traditionally, librarians have been regarded as support staff, focusing on information management and library operations. However, recent policy shifts and institutional expectations have increasingly positioned librarians within the academic faculty framework. This research explores how faculty designation affects librarians’ professional roles, institutional support, and career development within the geographical context of the Philippines. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study combined document and policy analysis, a structured survey of 55 respondents (30 faculty librarians and 25 librarians without faculty designation), and in-depth interviews with selected participants from various SUCs across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The findings reveal that faculty librarians perform expanded functions that include teaching, research, and service, alongside their traditional library responsibilities. While faculty designation offers opportunities for academic mobility and professional recognition, it also presents challenges related to workload imbalance, role ambiguity, and inconsistent institutional support. Policies and support structures vary widely across SUCs, with some institutions providing formal workload guidelines and research incentives, while others lack clear frameworks. Faculty librarians also experience evolving professional identities, navigating between librarian and faculty roles. The study concludes that faculty librarians hold a critical yet structurally underdefined position in higher education. Strengthening policy frameworks, institutional support systems, and promotion pathways is essential to fully integrate librarians into the academic mission. These findings offer practical implications for SUC administrators, CHED policymakers, and library leaders in shaping future policies and development programs.