Based on interviews with 29 librarians at a midwestern research university, this publication serves as a benchmark for what it is like to work as an academic librarian in a U.S. research university in the mid-1990's and considers changes occurring within the wider field of librarianship. Chapter 1 begins with a broad overview of the concept and meaning of work itself and concludes with a discussion of work life and ways to understand how workers give meaning to what they do. The academic librarian's perception of work and personal work identity is discussed in chapter 2; the clusters of work that dominate academic librarians' work lives and perceptions are collection, catalog, reference, and learning-teaching-training work. The next chapter examines the relationship between the university and the library, and chapter 4 deals with librarians' expressions of self, values, and preferences. The concept of the postindustrial workforce and society, in terms of the nature of work, work centrality, and change is addressed in chapter 5; a chart contrasting work in industrial and postindustrial society is included. The appendix contains profiles of the librarians interviewed for this study, profiles of academic librarians in general, and a description of the research methodology. (Contains 274 references.) (DLS)