The Illusion of Opportunity: Reimbursement Policies and the Academic Librarian

abstract: For many academic librarians, as previous research has shown, the process of seeking reimbursement for professional development costs is complicated and fraught. A 2023 survey of academic librarians in the United States reveals that the transparency and complexity of reimbursement practices at academic institutions varies widely. This article draws on the public policy concept of "administrative burden" to argue that reimbursement practices for academic librarians reproduce existing social inequities through their imposition of financial, learning, psychological, and compliance costs. To be more inclusive of all librarians, academic libraries should examine and revise reimbursement policies and processes.