What Makes Access Services Staff Happy? A Job Satisfaction Survey

Abstract

This article reports the results of a survey that analyzed the job satisfaction of 361 library access services practitioners. Library access services staff were surveyed and asked to rate job satisfaction based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory. Results show that access services staff have opportunities for satisfaction based on higher-level needs. Personal fulfillment, job opportunities, and relationships with coworkers rated as the top three most important factors. There are also contributing factors that affect job satisfaction based on lower-level needs, such as salary. Age, education level, and administrative responsibilities also play a role in job satisfaction of access services staff. The survey results demonstrated that most employees are satisfied, while improvements are needed in certain areas to provide employees with a more fulfilling work environment.