The Future of Cataloguing Education and Training: Insights from Surveys of the Profession

1. The future of cataloguing education and training: input from surveys of the professionPart 1: Some insights drawn from the neXus census Australian Committee on Cataloguing (ACOC) Seminar Brisbane, 7 September 2007

2. Today’s paper discusses… • The growing interest in workforce planning issues in the LIS sector • The neXus census: developing a picture of today’s profession, to be better able to understand the future • Some if the key findings, focusing on respondents who are working in the area of information organisation, cataloguing and metadata

3. Some international LIS workforce studies • The 8Rs Study (Canada)Canadian Library Human Resource Study • Recruit, retain and lead (public libraries)University of Sheffield (UK) • Learning for change: workforce development strategyMuseums, Libraries and Archives Council (UK) • A national study on the future of librarians in the workforce Institute of Museums & Library Services (USA) plus a number of universities and professional associations • Other studies: eg ACRL, Colorado Association of Libraries

4. Some Australian initiatives • Libraries of the Australian Technology Network (LATN) • Workforce and succession planning • State Library of Victoria • Workforce sustainability and leadership project • A number of anecdotal reports of workforce planning activitiesin individual organisations • Primarily internal focus • Risk of duplication of effort • Lost opportunities to develop models of best practice to inform and guide workforce planning in the sector as a whole • The neXus project

5. The neXus project • To respond to the need for a major study to capture data on: • Demographics • Education • Employment • Employment policies and practices • To endeavour to develop “a comprehensive overview of the [LIS] professional resource issues, challenges and opportunities” (Professions Australia, 2005) • To understand the issues that represent the nexus between education, curriculum, recruitment, retention, training and development to potentially sustain - and develop - the LIS workforce in Australia

6. The research project Three different, but interrelated, studies • Stage One: online survey of individuals Key stakeholders: • QUT • ALIA • CAVAL • Stage Two: workforce policies and practices in institutions Key stakeholders • QUT • ALIA • NSLA • Study tour to learn about the ‘bigger picture’ dimensions of LIS education and workforce planning: • Universities, professional associations, government bodies etc

7. Developing a picture of the LIS profession in Australia • An important first step in the process of understanding our professional future is to develop a clear picture of: • who is currently in the profession, and • where they think they are heading • The demographic, educational and employment data could potentially be updated every five years to track changes and emerging trends, cf census

8. Stage One: online survey of individuals • Launched at ALIA Click06 conference, Sept 2006 • Self-administered online questionnaire • Demographic, educational and employment data • 2346 valid online responses

9. Respondents by LIS sector (n=2346)

10. The target group of respondents for ACOC

11. Total respondents 2346 • Target group: Prof Para • Bibliographic records 707 74% 22% • Database management 630 79% 17% • Both 441 76% 20%

12. Distribution of target group respondents by sector

13. Total respondents and target group respondents

14. The target group respondents • Qualified/studying 93% had completed their studies in LIS 7% were still enrolled in a course • 23% were ‘new graduates’ ie gained their LIS qualifications in last 5 years • Gender Female: 88% Male: 12%

15. Age profile of respondents Interestingly, ratios for total respondents // target group respondents 18-25 years 3% 26-35 years 18% 36-45 years 27% 46-55 years 35% 56-65 years 16% 66 years + 2%

16. Age profile of librarians Age demographics of librarians: neXus data and Australian Job Search (2006)http://jobsearch.gov.au/joboutlook/

17. Career age of target group respondents • Recent entrants (< 5 years in sector) 18% • Mid career workers (6-15 years in sector) 36% • Senior career workers (> 16 years in sector) 46% • Correlation chronological age : career stage • Career change = older ‘recent entrants’ 40% new grads indicated career change 36% new grads were over 40 years old 31% ‘recent entrants’ were over 40 years old

18. Impact on workforce planning through interplay between • New entrants under 35 who may wish to gain variety of experience and have diverse employment opportunities 74% in current job for less than 2 years 49% in current job for less than 1 year 60% have worked for 2-5 employers (LIS) 15% on contract (cf 4% for mid career / senior career) Means more frequent hiring and induction • Stable workforce in mid to late career stages 41% with current employer for more than 10 years 32% in current job for more than 10 years Means little change in personnel but significant changes to tasks/functions

19. Will there be a dramatic exodus of workers? • Loss of older workers is directly related to the skills debate: • The ability to attract and retain a skilled workforce • The distribution of skill sets across the spectrum of the workforce • The critical importance of succession planning • The need to introduce more flexible employment options • All in a highly competitive labour market

20. Retirement plans: senior career respondents • At what age do they wish to retire? < 55 years 4% 55-60 yrs 34% 61-65 yrs 25% At 65 yrs 16% > 65 years 12% • Anticipated time until retirement 1-3 years 12% 3-5 years 16% 6-10 years 23% Total 2006-2015 51% cf 56 years and over 27%

21. What skills will be lost through retirement? • Concerns about the quality of future management and leadership skills • Of those in the target group planning to retire in thenext 5 years: • 14% at senior management level • 28% at middle management level • 15% at supervisory level • 43% at staff level

22. Examined according to tasks performed ‘often’ or ‘very often’ • Senior managers 82% involved in organisational planning activities 89% involved in budget and financial activities 79% involved in policy development 80% involved in management of training/staff development

23. Middle managers • More involved in discipline-specific activities • But differences in managerial responsibilities between: • Those who would retire within 5 years, and • Those who would be employed for 6 years or more • Those who would be working longer already had higher levels of managerial responsibilities

24. Comparative levels of managerial functions performed by middle managers retiring within 5 years and those planning to work for 6 years or more

25. Middle managers • All those planning to retire within 5 years were > 46 years • 18% were 46-55, so retiring before ‘normal’ retirement age • Those planning to work longer were considerably younger, 57% < 45 years 38% < 40 years • The comparison between chronological age, career stage and professional functions performed augurs well for the future • Evidence that progress is being made in succession planning • Younger middle managers are acquiring greater responsibility for a wide range of managerial activities • Far less the case with their older, pre-retirement colleagues • But further analysis required!

26. What about training and development? • Questions posed about: • How often people participated in formal and/or informal learning activities • The areas of professional practice where training had been received • The extent to which training had contributed to improved work performance

27. Participation in training • 55% [59%] felt they had sufficient training opportunities • 23% [17%] felt they had insufficient training opportunities • 51% [49%] felt they spent too much time in training • 23% [23%] felt they didn’t spend enough time in training • *[figures] : total respondents

28. Interplay between professional membership (ALIA) and professional development • Those engaged with the profession are more likely to participate in PD • Those not engaged with the profession are less likely to participate in PD

29. Professional engagement as determinant for interest and participation in training and development activities Correlation between membership of ALIA and participation in continuing education events

30. Education, training and experience… • 77% agreed they had adequate education, training and experience to perform their current job • 63% believed that, given the education, training and experience they had, they were overqualified for the job they held • 35% believed that, given the education, training and experience they had, they were qualified to move to a higher position • 51% wished to move to a job with increased responsibility • 26% would be happy to remain in their current position for the rest of their career

31. Impact of training on work performance Perceived positive impact on work performance Technology training 59% Job-oriented skills training 52% Library issues, subject specific 47% Customer service 27% Management skills 19% Leadership skills 16% Mentoring 10% Job rotation 8% Job share 6% Job swap 4%

32. Areas of training that would benefit career The need for good management training and development is critical. What about leadership skills? What is the relationship between ‘management skills’ and ‘leadership skills’?

33. Managerial aspirations • Retirement by 2015 57% of senior career/senior managers (32% by 2010) 58% of senior career/middle managers (30% by 2010) • Ambitions for senior management roles within 10 years: 26% of senior career/senior managers to continue the role 7% of senior career/middle managers 31% of mid career/senior managers 38% of mid career/middle managers 11% of mid career/supervisors 10% of new entrant professionals

34. The promises and the legacies • Does the profession need the promise of ‘bright young things with fresh ideas’ but in fact only offer the legacy of the past ? • Studies have shown that early attrition is a major concern • Do library courses actually offer new professionals promises that cannot be kept in the workplace? • Can we avoid the disillusionment of new entrants? • Will the impact of staff retirement result in a professional disconnect, or offer new professional opportunities? • What will the impact of generational change in the profession really be? • How do we achieve a balance between the past and the future?

35. Conclusion • The neXus study has provided some useful data about the LIS workforce in Australia • The big question is how the data should be interpreted and used to help plan a strong future - for both individual LIS professionals and the LIS profession • There is a close link between staff development and staff retention – but it has to be the right training at the right time • Staff development strategies must keep pace with the pace of retirement of LIS workers (ie more than half of the target respondents in the next 10 years)