The Future is Now: Shifting Demographics, Emerging Competencies, and the Canadian Library Workforce Stephen Abram SLA June 14, 2006

Starting Question  Will there be a shortage of librarians in the next 5 to 10 years due to mass retirements?  A ‘simple’ question, no simple answers  In the process we learned: No clear succession crisis Urgency in other areas of library human resources:  Competencies, particularly management and leadership  Education and training  Workloads and quality of work, work-life balance  Role overlap between librarians and paraprofessionals  Focus on recruitment, not as much on retirement

Objective o Comprehensive investigation of issues around recruitment, retention, remuneration, repatriation, rejuvenation, reaccreditation, retirement, and restructuring (the 8Rs) in the Canadian library context

The 8Rs  Recruitment  Retention  Remuneration  Repatriation  Reaccreditation  Rejuvenation  Retirement  Restructuring

Project Scope  3-year study of unprecedented breadth and depth 167 data tables Over 900 variables 275-page report (English and French) Analyses of data by library sectors and sub-sectors  2006 Training Gaps Analysis for Librarians and Library Technicians Cultural Human Resources Council / CLA

Methods: Cdn Library HR Study oInstitutional Survey oPhase I: 1,357 surveys sent to libraries o34% response rate overall (461 respondents) o36% public libraries o50% academic libraries o26% special libraries oPractitioners’ Survey oWeb survey sent to 8,626 library workers oResponse rate of 36.5% (3,148 respondents) oAdditional 1,545 responses collected through listserv oTotal of 4,693 responses

Methods: Training Gaps Analysis oPhase II Employer Survey o94 institutions surveyed, 58 respondents (61% response rate) oStudent Survey o867 students o354 MLIS o503 LIT

Demographics

Percent Professional Librarians (n=1,886) Paraprofessional Staff (n=1,560) Library Sector < < TOTAL SAMPLE TOTAL ACADEMIC CARL Other Academic TOTAL PUBLIC CULC Other Public TOTAL SPECIAL Government Non-Profit For-Profit TOTAL SCHOOL Table C.10: Age Category of Librarians and Paraprofessionals by Library Sector ( Individual Survey)

(Lack of) Diversity in Libraries  Visible Minorities 7% of librarians and paraprofessionals 4% of all senior administrators Special libraries have slightly higher representation of visible minority staff  Aboriginal 1% of librarians across career levels 2% of paraprofessionals

Retirement

Table E.3: Librarian Age of Retirement by Library Sector (Institutional Survey; n=95) Percent Library SectorBefore 65 Years of Age At 65 Years of Age After 65 Years of Age TOTAL79138 TOTAL ACADEMIC CARL TOTAL PUBLIC CULC Public TOTAL SPECIAL 88012

Table E.6 Predicted Librarian Retirements Within the Next 5 and 10 Years (Individual Survey) Librarian Workforce Retirement Retirement Scenario Percent Estimated # in Librarian Population Scenario 1: Assuming retire at 60 Retirements by ,250 Retirements by ,320 Scenario 2: Assuming retire at 62 Retirements by ,440 Retirements by ,510 Scenario 3: Assuming retire at 65 Retirements by Retirements by ,250

Table J.3: Predicted Future Librarian Supply Time Period Current Librarian Workforce New Librarian Entrants Departures from Retirement Future Librarian Workforce Future Librarians as % of Current Librarians In 5 years (2009)11,700+1,600- 1,87011,43098% In 10 years (2014)11,700+ 3,250- 4,56010,39089% Table J.5: Predicted Future Library Technician Supply Time Period Current Library Technician Workforce New Library Technician Entrants Departures from Retirement Future Library Technician Workforce Future Library Technicians as % of Current Technicians In 5 years (2009)10,3601,200- 1,35010,21099% In 10 years (2014)10,3602,400- 3,5009,26089%

TOTAL TOTAL ACADEMIC CARL Other Academic TOTAL PUBLIC CULC Other Public TOTAL SPECIAL Government Non-Profit For-Profit Percent Figure E.2: Organizations with Succession Plan by Library Sector (Institutional Survey; n=276)

Recruitment

Most Significant Barriers to Recruitment by Whether or Not Recruited in Past Year

Competencies

Table G.7: Percent of Recent Librarian Entrants Agreeing that MLIS Program Provided Skills to Effectively Perform their Jobs by Library Sector “My Program Provided Me With... “ Library Sector General Skills/ Abilities Problem -solving skills IT Skills Mgmnt Skills Ldrship Skills Bus. Skills TOTAL TOTAL ACADEMIC TOTAL PUBLIC TOTAL SPECIAL

Competency Match: MLIS Programs  Students see largest gap in perceived importance and provision of business skills, followed by leadership and managerial skills  46% of students believe their program provides a realistic depiction of what is like to work as a librarian /in a related field  68% of current students satisfied with education quality  75% of employers believe MLIS education equips graduates with the competencies required to be professional librarians at their organizations  Suggestions for improvement: Students and recent grads: more practical training Employers: improvements to management curriculum

Competencies: Library Technicians/Paraprofessionals  Important competencies: interpersonal/people skills (100%), organizational commitment (95%) and communication skills (93%)  Most important and difficult to fulfill: ability to respond flexibly to change IT skills public service skills

Competency Match: LIT Programs  Minor gaps between key competencies and their provision in the diploma program found  78% of current LIT students believe program is providing them with a realistic depiction of what it is like to work as a library technician  83% of LIT students satisfied with program  90% of employers believe LIT diploma programs equip students for the workplace  Suggestions for improvement: Students: better course content Employers: better IT training, specialized training

Role Shifts  Traditional librarian duties are being taken on in an increasing capacity by paraprofessional staff  78% of institutions reported that paraprofessionals have taken on more of these responsibilities over the past 5 years  Role shift expected to continue to over the next 5 years

Professional Development

Percent Needing a Significant Amount of Training Library Sector Recent Librarian Entrants Mid-Level Librarians Senior-Level Librarians TOTAL TOTAL ACADEMIC CARL Other Academic TOTAL PUBLIC CULC Other Public TOTAL SPECIAL Government Non-Profit Table H.2: Librarians Needing Significant Training by Career Level of Librarian by Library Sector (Institutional Survey; n=270)

Percent “Agreeing” Library Sector Recent Librarian Entrants Mid-Career Librarians Senior-Career Librarians TOTAL56 60 TOTAL ACADEMIC CARL Other Academic TOTAL PUBLIC CULC Other Public TOTAL SPECIAL Government Non-Profit For-Profit-- 71 SCHOOL-- 42 Table H.3: Organization Provides Sufficient Opportunities to Participate in Training by Career Stage by Library Sector (Professional Librarians Only; Individual Survey; n=1,897)

Implications  Environmental factors: how to deal with limited budgets, etc.  Need to attract the best and brightest to the profession and to individual libraries  Need to ensure strong candidates get leadership and management development  Much of the training and development responsibility currently lies with libraries How can associations and library schools play a role?  How will libraries predict what competencies are needed as time goes on?  Will the knowledge economy mean greater competition for highly-skilled library staff? Large research libraries will be the winners Small or rural libraries may find recruitment & retention issues compounding over time

Quality of Work

Job Satisfaction  79% of librarians and paraprofessionals state they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their jobs

Workload Manageability and Stress  Agreeing workload manageable Librarians: 39% Paraprofessionals: 53%  Agreeing they have little job-related stress Librarians: 24% Paraprofessionals: 35%  Agreeing job allows work-life balance Librarians: 62% Paraprofessionals: 75%

Implications  Appears to be no imminent crisis in library staff supply and demand  We haven’t shattered the myth of a shortage in the library workforce, but softened it

Implications Shifting roles experienced between librarian and paraprofessional staff Access to education for all staff  Base education programs  Continuing professional development Leadership and management potential and competencies of new and existing staff

Charge to the Community  Recruitment isn’t about numbers, but about qualities and competencies Management, leadership, IT  Recruitment isn’t just to institutions, but to the profession Convergence between the profession and the schools  Address the challenge of increasing and supporting diversity in the library workforce

Charge to the Community  Build greater accessibility to library education programs  Commit to professional development for all library workers Take on leadership and management development as core competencies to be nurtured within the workforce Gain greater understanding of role shifts and how they define core competencies What do new and mid-career staff see as necessary competencies? How can training barriers (due to limited budgets) be addressed?

Getting the Information Out  The Future of Human Resources in Canadian Libraries download:  Training Gaps Analysis for Librarians and Library Technicians download:  CLA President’s Council  IMLS study of library workforce in the United States:

Study Sponsors and Supporters  University of Alberta  Canadian Association of Research Libraries  Canadian Urban Libraries Council  Library and Archives Canada  Alberta Community Development, Government of Alberta  Canadian Library Association  Cultural Human Resources Council (Training Gaps Analysis)