Coming on board: the perception of newly employed librarians of their integration into academic libraries in Ghana

Academic libraries are essential for achieving the mandate of universities and colleges. These libraries support the teaching, learning, and research pursuits of the institution’s staff, faculty, and students. The sustainability of the academic library’s mandate largely depends on the caliber of staff employed to work in these spaces. Recruiting and retaining librarians to work in these academic libraries is critical for the continuity and delivery of satisfactory services to the university community. Integrating/onboarding newly employed librarians into academic libraries is essential as these librarians bring new ideas, skills, and perspectives that can help the library adapt to changing user needs and technological advances. This study sought to explore the process of integrating/onboarding newly employed librarians into academic libraries, identify the components of the integration/onboarding processes, and assess newly employed librarians’ perception of the integration/onboarding process on their work in academic libraries. The qualitative approach was employed in the study of integration/onboarding processes and to assess the perception of newly employed librarians of the integration/onboarding processes in academic libraries in Ghana. The purposive sampling technique was used to identify thirteen (13) newly employed professional librarians recruited during the 2021-2024 academic year who had undergone some integration/onboarding processes in their respective libraries. A semi-structured interview schedule guided the face-to-face interviews with the librarians from June 10 to August 09, 2024, lasting about 50 minutes each. The data collected was transcribed and thematically analysed reflexively using Nvivo Software Version 20 to identify codes and themes revealing patterns in the data and dominant themes. Findings from the study showed that academic libraries used meetings, orientations, and rotations as avenues for integrating/onboarding their newly employed librarians. The study also revealed that organizational culture, continuous professional development, teamwork/collaborations, mentorship, and career progression and promotion were discussed. From the study, the newly employed librarians perceived the integration/onboarding process to help build their interpersonal relations and develop a sense of acceptance and belonging, making them want to do their best to ensure the success of the academic library and their respective universities.