Adjunct Faculty and the Library: A Challenge for Change

As the number of adjunct faculty in academia grows, libraries must be increasingly cognizant of their important role. Adjuncts often teach a large number of first-year students, and, as a result, they can have a significant impact on whether or not students persist in their education. Working with adjunct faculty presents unique challenges to libraries. Discovering who adjunct faculty are and understanding their working conditions are a first step in building awareness of this population. This article examines the wide spectrum of adjunct faculty and provides suggestions to encourage libraries to broaden their services to meet the needs of all faculty.