Globally, academic librarians have evolved from custodians of books to educators, researchers, and partners in scholarly communication (Corrall, 2014; Seifi & Daliri, 2019). Yet in Ghanaian universities, librarians are often perceived primarily as support staff. They are typically classified under “senior members (non-teaching)” and excluded from academic boards and curriculum committees (Adjei & Owusu-Ansah, 2020).
This marginalization has practical consequences: librarians are rarely invited to co-teach, supervise research projects, or engage in collaborative research with faculty (Nketsia & Arthur, 2021). Meanwhile, the rise of digital scholarship, open access, and research data management creates new opportunities for librarians to demonstrate their academic relevance (Ocholla & Ocholla, 2016).
SOME REVIEWED LITERATURE
Scholars have long argued that librarians’ academic identity should be grounded in three pillars: teaching, research, and service (Corrall, 2014; Brewerton, 2012). In the UK and parts of Europe, librarians regularly teach credit-bearing courses and contribute to curriculum design (Brewerton, 2012). In South Africa, librarians participate in research data management and scholarly publishing services, which raises their academic profile (Ocholla & Ocholla, 2016).
In Ghana, however, librarians face structural and perceptual challenges. Adjei and Owusu-Ansah (2020) note that Ghanaian universities rarely include librarians in academic governance structures. Nketsia and Arthur (2021) add that while librarians conduct informal workshops on information literacy, these efforts are often unrecognized by Faculty and excluded from the formal curriculum. Research also points to gaps in scholarly publishing: although librarians have higher degrees, their research output remains limited due to lack of mentorship, funding, and institutional support (Asamoah-Hassan, 2014).
CHALLENGES IN GHANAIAN UNIVERSITIES
Structural classification: University statutes often place librarians under “senior members (non-teaching),” which denies them automatic membership on academic boards and committees (Adjei & Owusu-Ansah, 2020). Perceptual barriers: Faculty frequently see librarians as service providers rather than educators or researchers (Asamoah-Hassan, 2014). This perception persists partly because librarians’ teaching is informal and rarely credit-bearing. Limited research engagement: while some librarians publish in professional journals, overall research output remains low, partly due to heavy administrative workloads and limited research incentives (Brewerton, 2012). Weak collaboration: In many institutions, librarians are rarely invited to departmental meetings where curriculum and research planning occur (Nketsia & Arthur, 2021).
OVERLOOKED OPPORTUNITIES
Despite these challenges, there are promising initiatives in some Ghanaian universities. For instance, the University of Ghana’s Balme Library regularly organizes research workshops for postgraduate students and Faculty (Nketsia & Arthur, 2021). At the University for Development Studies (UDS), librarians manage the institutional repository and train staff on open access publishing, supporting the university’s research visibility. These examples suggest that librarians can play significant academic roles when given the opportunity.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LIBRARIANS
Publish scholarly research aligned with institutional priorities. Teach formal, credit-bearing courses. Develop subject specialization to better support faculty. Advocate for inclusion on academic boards and committees.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT
Revise policies to classify librarians as academic staff. Create promotion criteria that recognize teaching, research, and service. Fund librarians’ professional development and research.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FACULTY
Collaborate with librarians in course design, research, and student supervision. Recognize librarians’ expertise in research data management, scholarly communication, and digital literacy.
CONCLUSION
Integrating librarians into academia in Ghanaian universities requires cultural change and structural reform. Librarians must position themselves as educators and researchers, while university leadership and Faculty must acknowledge and support this expanded role. A more integrated model benefits students, faculty, and institutions alike by strengthening teaching, research, and institutional reputation in an increasingly competitive global academic environment.
REFERENCES: Adjei, E. A., & Owusu-Ansah, C. M. (2020). Repositioning academic librarians in Ghanaian universities. Library Philosophy and Practice, Article 4019. / Asamoah-Hassan, H. R. (2014). Academic librarians in Ghana: Challenges and prospects. Ghana Library Journal, 26(1), 1–14. / Bourg, C. (2014). Libraries as publishers: New roles in the information landscape. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication, 2(4). / Brewerton, A. (2012). Re-skilling for research: Investigating the needs of researchers and how library staff can help. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 18(1), 36–55. / Corrall, S. (2014). Designing libraries for research collaboration in the network world: An exploratory study. LIBER Quarterly, 24(1), 17–48. / Nketsia, B., & Arthur, C. (2021). Integrating information literacy into higher education curricula in Ghana: The role of academic librarians. Library Philosophy and Practice, Article 5245. / Ocholla, D. N., & Ocholla, L. (2016). Transforming African academic libraries to support research. Library Review, 65(4/5), 286–301. / Seifi, L., & Daliri, M. R. (2019). Academic librarians as research partners: Perspectives and challenges. Library Management, 40(8/9), 552–564.
FUSEINI ABDULAI BRAIMAH
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