Occupational map
for the libraries, archives and information services
workforce
2006
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Contents
Contents ............................................................................................................................................... iii
Foreword to the occupational and functional maps ............................................................................. 1
Introduction to the occupational map ................................................................................................... 3
The scope of the workforce .................................................................................................................. 4
Numbers employed .............................................................................................................................. 4
Geography of the workforce ................................................................................................................. 8
Trends affecting the workforce ............................................................................................................. 9
Education and qualifications ................................................................................................................ 13
Vocational education and training ................................................................................................... 13
Higher education ............................................................................................................................. 15
Professional development and qualifications .................................................................................. 15
Career structures and progression ..................................................................................................... 17
Relationships with other workforce groups within the lifelong learning sector ..................................... 19
Relationships with other occupational sectors ..................................................................................... 20
Annex A – Skills drivers ....................................................................................................................... A1
Annex B – Skills impacts (tbc)
Annex C – Skills needs for the libraries, archives and information services workforce identified in
research for the LLUK Sector Skills Agreement ................................................................ C1
Annex D – Degree courses in library, archive and records management – 2006 ............................. D1
Annex E – Bibliography ...................................................................................................................... E1
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Foreword
to the Occupational and Functional Maps
for the Libraries, Archives and Information Services Workforce
Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) was formed in January 2005 as the sector skills council for the libraries,
archives and information services workforce, within the broader lifelong learning sector. This sector is
defined as comprising a number of constituent workforce groups, all of which contribute to the
provision of lifelong learning. A key function of sector skills councils is the development of National
Occupational Standards (NOS) which define the capabilities of the workforce, together with the
knowledge, skills, understanding and behaviours expected of them. NOS are developed with the full
participation of employers and other stakeholders within the sector, and provide the foundation for the
design of vocational qualifications appropriate to the workforce. An early stage in the process of
developing NOS is the preparation of occupational and functional maps.
While the purposes of the occupational map and the functional map are different, they are linked.
They both seek to provide an overview of the workforce, but in different ways. The occupational map
provides a description of the “landscape” of a sector or a workforce, together with the trends that
shape it. This will influence the development of National Occupational Standards and the design of
an appropriate vocational qualifications strategy. The functional map outlines the scope of activities
undertaken by the workforce and is the starting point for the development of more detailed statements
of capability that will become the National Occupational Standards and the unit specifications from
which qualifications will be built.
The preparation of earlier occupational and functional maps was commissioned by the former
Information Services NTO (isNTO), in 1997 and again in 2002. This document is an update of the
2002 mapping, it follows a similar approach and is laid out in a similar, although not identical, format.
The document includes a significant amount of new data and draws on the research conducted by
Lifelong Learning UK during 2006 for the early stages of its Sector Skills Agreement (SSA). It was
produced during the period November 2006 – January 2007, under the oversight of a representative
Project Steering Group established to oversee the work to create new National Occupational
Standards and new vocational qualifications for the libraries, archives and information services
workforce. Employers and other stakeholders were consulted to gain information and opinion on the
content of the mapping documents.
The 2006 occupational and functional mapping was produced by Peter Ramsden – Standards &
Qualifications Officer at LLUK, based on earlier work by Leigh & Barron Consulting Ltd for the former
isNTO and including data provided by the LLUK Research Team and from the SSA research process
undertaken by SQW Consultants for LLUK during 2006.
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The Occupational Map
Introduction to the Occupational Map
1.
The aim of this occupational map is to provide a profile of the libraries, archives and information
services workforce in order to support the development and approval of National Occupational
Standards and the design of appropriate vocational qualifications. A key objective within this is to
establish the size and extent of the workforce, and to determine where its boundaries meet with other
workforce groups within the lifelong learning sector and how it relates to other sectors. In addition, the
occupational map should identify the major changes that have occurred, and are likely to occur, which
will have an impact on the future development of occupational standards and qualifications.
2.
It is important to recognise that the occupational map is a working document, not an academic
study of the workforce.
Its purpose is to provide a summary of the nature and structure of
employment in the workforce. It recognises the sometimes complex and unclear relationships that
exist between different workforce groups and across different occupational sectors. The occupational
map therefore starts with an attempt to understand the scope of the sector. Statistical information on
the workforce in terms of numbers employed is provided as part of the process to attempt to indicate
its overall size and structure. Continuing change impacts on the libraries, archives and information
services workforce as it does across the lifelong learning sector and elsewhere. The occupational
map identifies the major drivers of change in an attempt to understand how the workforce is being
impacted upon and how it is changing.
3.
The occupational map contains much of the information required to determine the future
direction of a qualification structure for the libraries, archives and information services workforce. This
requires a review of the existing provision of qualifications (the supply side of the equation), the takeup of existing qualifications and employers’ expressed needs for workforce training, development and
qualifications (the demand side).
4.
It is not the intention to replicate the work being undertaken elsewhere to identify skills
requirements (which in any case should not be confused with occupational standards). This is one of
the outcomes of the Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) process which LLUK is currently undertaking to
achieve a UK-wide agreement between employers, partner organisations, funding bodies and
government on the priorities for workforce development, the collective action that is required and the
measurable outcomes the SSA will deliver.
There have also been a number of earlier studies
commissioned by the former isNTO that contribute to this process, most notably the TFPL/isNTO
Report, Scenarios for the knowledge economy: strategic information skills (2001), and the Skills
Foresight Report, Skills Foresight in the Information Services Sector 2000 – 2007 (2001). Data from
all these sources contributes to the creation of the occupational map.
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The scope of the workforce
5.
The workforce employed in libraries, archives and information services can be viewed as an
occupational sector in its own right but should perhaps more realistically be seen as a workforce that
crosses the boundaries of several occupational sectors, while being rooted in the lifelong learning
sector. As a workforce, it consists of a group of occupations linked by the core functions relating to
the sourcing and provision of information to people. The key roles that are principally recognised are
those of librarian, archivist and records or information manager. These occupations exist, if not in
name then in function, in organisations of all sizes, across all industrial sectors.
6.
Information services form the raison d’être of traditionally recognisable organisations, such as
libraries and archives. While they might exist as part of a broader range of services provided by a
larger organisation, such as public libraries and archives being part of local government, they can
exist as entities within their own right, eg the British Library or the National Archives of Scotland.
There are now many public and private organisations that provide information services of one kind or
another, eg the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and a wide range of professional and trade bodies. The rapid
development of the internet as a means of disseminating information, either free or at cost, has seen
the creation of commercial organisations such as Amazon™, Google™ and Ancestry.com™.
Whether these organisations can be defined as part of the libraries, archives and information services
workforce is a matter of debate.
7.
Prior to the establishment of the present network of sector skills councils the information
services sector was seen as a small occupational sector in its own right. The creation of the SfBN
sees the workforce forming a constituency of the broader lifelong learning sector.
However,
information is a pervasive commodity, and a significant proportion of the workforce is employed
outside of the lifelong learning sector, by employers comprising most of the other 24 sector skills
councils.
Particularly prominent are employers in the health service, cultural heritage, the legal,
medical and architectural professions, business and commercial services. This means that it is very
difficult to be precise about the definition of the broader information services workforce, other than
accepting that it exists horizontally within all industrial sectors. The most convenient view is to identify
the core of the workforce as the four key roles identified above in para 5. While this core can be
readily recognised, it should be regarded as the vanguard for a much larger workforce that is widely
dispersed and more pervasive than is often appreciated.
Numbers employed in the workforce
8.
It is not an easy task to identify the total number of people employed in the libraries, archives
and information services workforce, partly for the reasons outlined above, and in some areas it
continues to be possible only to estimate numbers. This is partly because there is no authoritative
definition of the libraries, archives and information services workforce that links into the available
official national statistics. We also have to be clear about what we are counting. Sectors are often
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numbered by the total number of people employed by organisations in those sectors, regardless of
the role they undertake. For example, those employed in manufacturing might consist of 2.5 million,
without differentiating whether they are engineers, accountants, cleaners, etc. The approach adopted
here is to gather data from a variety of sources in an attempt to build a total figure for the libraries,
archives and information services workforce. The difficulty is the current lack of data for some parts of
the workforce, particularly those employed outside of the lifelong learning sector.
9.
We can only seek to quantify the size of the libraries, archives and information services
workforce by identifying the number of people who, for one reason or another, can be easily
recognised as being part of it. The available statistics are based on the traditional core roles within
the libraries, archives and information services workforce. Some statistics are collected for full time
equivalents (FTEs), which means more than one person might be undertaking a particular job. The
figures also do not take into account those people who undertake the functions commonly identified
with the workforce but who do not recognise themselves as part of the broader information services
workforce. Nor do the figures indicate the number of people who might be undertaking some of the
functions as part of their job, whether this is the most significant part or not. Nonetheless, LLUK
believes the figures presented below are currently the best means of indicating the number of people
in the workforce.
Group A – Libraries, archives and information services organisations within the lifelong
learning sector
Public libraries
1997
2002
2006
Staff in professional roles
7,000
7,000
6,400
Staff in paraprofessional roles
19,000
20,000
21,400
TOTAL
26,000
27,000
27,800
Table 1. Source: Library & Information Statistics Unit (LISU) at Loughborough University;
latest figure reported is for 2004
Local government archives
1997
2002
2006
6,000
6,000
6,000
Staff in professional roles
Staff in paraprofessional roles
TOTAL
Table 2. Source: Estimate based on advice from Society of Archivists. Specific research is to be
undertaken by LLUK to produce credible quantitative data for this group during Jan-Feb 2007
University/HE
1997
2002
2006
Staff in professional roles
3,000
3,600
3,775
Staff in paraprofessional roles
5,000
6,000
TOTAL
8,000
9,600
Table 3. Source: Standing Conference of National and University Librarians (SCONUL);
Current figures awaited
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FE Colleges
1997
2002
Staff in professional roles
1,000
1,000
Staff in paraprofessional roles
2,000
2,000
TOTAL (estimate)
3,000
3,000
2006
Table 4. Source: Survey & Statistical Research Centre (SSRC) at Sheffield Hallam University
No updated figures available for 2002: based on 1997 figures
National Libraries and Archives
1997
2002
2006
The British Library
Staff in professional roles
1,010
Staff in paraprofessional roles
1,840
TOTAL
2,850
The National Archives
Staff in professional roles
Staff in paraprofessional roles
TOTAL
The National Library of Scotland
Staff in professional roles
Staff in paraprofessional roles
TOTAL
The National Archives of Scotland
Staff in professional roles
Staff in paraprofessional roles
TOTAL
The National Library of Wales
Staff in professional roles
Staff in paraprofessional roles
TOTAL
The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland
Staff in professional roles
Staff in paraprofessional roles
TOTAL
Table 5. Source: Library & Information Statistics Unit (LISU) at Loughborough University and
workforce figures from the national libraries and archives; figures for year ending 31 Mar 2006
Government
1997
2002
Staff in professional roles
320
Staff in paraprofessional roles
430
TOTAL
700
2005
750
Table 6. Source: Committee of Departmental Librarians; 200X figure
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Summary of workforce data for employers within the lifelong learning sector for 2006:
2006
Public libraries
27,800
Local government archives
Universities & HE
FEColleges
National Libraries & Archives
TOTAL
Table 7.
Group 2 – Libraries, archives and information providers outside the lifelong learning sector
NHS libraries
1997
NHS library staff
1,144
2002
Staff in professional roles
700
Staff in paraprofessional roles
650
TOTAL
1,144
2006
1,350
Table 8. Source: Library & Information Statistics Unit, Loughborough University (LISU); 2001 figure
Special libraries
1997
2002
Staff in professional roles
7,000
7,000
Staff in paraprofessional roles
21,000
21,000
TOTAL
28,000
28,000
2006
Table 9. No current figures available: based on 1997 estimate derived from consultation with Aslib
and TFPL
Schools
Staff in professional roles
1997
2002
750
750
Staff in paraprofessional roles
3,750
1,500
TOTAL (estimate)
4,500
2,250
2006
Table 10. Figures exclude pupil volunteers which number over 4,000
Survey & Statistical Research Centre (SSRC) at Sheffield Hallam University
Records management
TOTAL (estimate)
1997
2002
20,000
20,000
2006
Table 11. Estimate based on 1997 figures, no further figures availabl
Freelance
1997
2002
TOTAL (estimate)
3,000
3,500
2006
Table 12. Consensus that more individuals are now freelance, but no further figures available
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Summary of workforce data for employers outside of the lifelong learning sector for 2006:
2006
NHS
Special libraries
Records management
Schools
Freelance
TOTAL
Table 13.
10.
The figures provided here are not dissimilar to those reported in the 2002 occupational map
and indicate that the total workforce continues to exceed 100,000 people. Approximately half of the
workforce is employed outside of the broader lifelong learning sector, in the health service, in schools
and across other sectors. It should be noted that some of the data relates to full-time equivalent
posts, rather than numbers of people actually employed. There is no accepted formula for adding a
weighting to figures to take account of this and the assumption should be made that the actual
number of people employed in the workforce will be somewhat higher than the figures given.
11.
Some of the figures must, none the less, be treated with a degree of caution.
Although the
figures for some parts of the workforce are credible, other areas such as special libraries and archives
outside of local government are much more difficult to quantify. The figures also do not reveal all
those people who are not recognised, or do not recognise themselves, as being part of the workforce,
but who nonetheless undertake activities that come within the scope of the libraries, archives and
information services workforce. This is because all or (more likely) part of their job is involved with
information services. Until there is a complete occupational census of the entire UK workforce it is
impossible to guess at the total number of people working in the UK who would benefit from
occupational standards and qualifications originating from this sector, but it is likely to be many times
more than the figures quoted above.
Geography of the sector
12.
The libraries, archives and information services workforce is widely distributed throughout the
UK, across the public sector (where it is most numerous) and across the private sector. The only
geographical issue that arises is one that is common to many sectors – the pull of the major
conurbations, and especially London. This becomes very apparent if recruitment is monitored for any
length of time. Many in the workforce are attracted to London because it offers a far larger number
and greater diversity of job opportunities. The disadvantages to working in London, most notably
higher housing costs, are offset by a more flexible job market. Outside London, where opportunities
are generally more limited, it can be difficult to move between similar jobs, let alone find entirely new
job opportunities, without relocating. The cost of housing affects both those in London, who fear
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leaving as they might never be able to afford to return, and those outside, who cannot afford to enter
the housing market there. Even certain parts of London have difficulties in recruiting, either because
they are away from the concentration of major institutions, or because of other social and
environmental problems. This situation is common for all who work in the broader lifelong learning
sector and there are no obvious and realistic solutions to address this type of problem at sector level.
13.
An interesting element of data that was reported in the original 1997 occupational map was that
in response to the questionnaire circulated at the time, 74% of respondents in archives stated that
they worked as part of a workforce unit of less than 10 people and 53% of records managers stated
likewise, whereas for libraries and other information agencies this figure was 42%. It is unlikely that
this situation has changed over the last nine years and this differential endorses the observation that
the archives and records management workforce, in particular, is widely distributed geographically in
small work units and this highlights the difficulties often faced by small organisations in effectively
addressing workforce development.
Trends affecting the workforce
14.
The libraries, archives and information services workforce continues to experience significant
change caused by a number of change drivers, and those with leadership and management roles
within the workforce face continuing challenges in managing change. This 2006 occupational map
has been extensively revised to take account of the Skills Foresight events undertaken by isNTO after
the publication of the 2002 occupational map and the more recent research by LLUK as part of the
Sector Skills Agreement process. The skills Foresight Events, which were held during the years
2003-04, involved identifying key change drivers for the future under the five STEEP headings (Social,
Technological, Environmental, Economic and Political). This STEEP methodology, approved by the
Department for Education and Skills, was used to identify and analyse change drivers in a two-stage
process using questionnaires and meetings with a representative selection of employers. The aim
was to identify not only the change drivers but also the impact on the workforce and the resultant skills
needs.
15.
The present work on a Sector Skills Agreement continues the process of identifying skills needs
from the employer’s perspective, with the additional stages of…..
16.
It is possible to provide here only an overview of the trends affecting the libraries, archives and
information services workforce. A more detailed consideration is beyond the scope of this document
but can be found in the various Skills Foresight reports and the SSA Stage 1 report, which are listed in
Annex E. All of this work is significant for the updating of National Occupational Standards and for
informing the development of new qualifications frameworks.
17.
The two key change drivers are probably social change, shaped by the political agenda, and
the continuing development of information technology. The Skills Foresight events, reported most
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recently in 2004, identified and grouped the range of change drivers impacting on skills under the
following headings:

Social

Technological

Environmental

Economic

Political
As would be expected, many of these change drivers overlap more than one of the above headings
and in the following paragraphs the change drivers are allocated to the most appropriate heading.
18.
Social change – the primary driver in this area is that of government policy on social inclusion.
The emphasis on inclusion, and equal opportunities in general, means that the libraries, archives and
information services workforce at all levels is responding to the needs of a greater range of people.
Barriers to access, real and perceived, are being dismantled. In public libraries and archives this
means developing a better understanding of the diverse needs within local communities, facilitating
access to those who have traditionally not been significant users of public services and ensuring that
the specific needs of minority ethnic groups in the local area are addressed. In education libraries,
the needs of a far more diverse range of learners are met regardless of educational ability, age,
ethnicity, or disability. Medical libraries, once seen as the preserve of doctors and consultants, are
now serving all grades and specialisms of health care workers.
Society itself is changing. The
accelerating move towards a ‘24/7’ society, in which demand and supply have little or no time
constraints, has implications for public sector services as well as the service industries.
19.
Technological change – a primary driver of change across many occupational sectors,
technology has already had and will continue to have significant, if not revolutionary, effects on the
delivery of library, archive and information services. In particular, the huge growth in the use of the
internet in the last decade has led to an entirely new information infrastructure. It has created new
expectations amongst users, and placed increasing demands on those in the workforce.
While in
many sectors the role of information technology has been largely to improve production and services,
its role in information services has been nothing short of revolutionary. The way the sector operates
today is barely recognisable from ten years ago, and many of the changes that have happened were
mainly speculation in 1997.
20.
The expansion of the internet and of corporate intranets has set the agenda for the direction of
information services, whether in public services or private companies. Users expect to access and
retrieve information almost instantly, whether it is real-time data or archived resources. This has
created a huge demand for the digitisation of existing materials in libraries, archives, and record
repositories.
Increasing access through the digitisation of often unique and fragile material has
become a major part of the strategy of the national libraries and archives, in particular. The process of
converting printed formats to digital formats requires a new approach to the presentation of
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information. The presentation of content in a printed format is often unsuitable for a digital format.
The way users interact with the material changes, so that they search for, read, and extract
information in different ways. For librarians in particular, the task of evaluating materials and ensuring
that they are presented to those who need them comes increasingly to the fore. There will potentially
be more need than ever for new systems of organising material (ie the traditional skills of cataloguing
and classifying) to ensure that digital formats do not unwittingly constrain learning. Allied to this is the
development of internet search engines, requiring abstracting and indexing skills to balance and
quality assure the routine work undertaken by crawler software.
21.
Along with digitisation comes the issue of preservation of materials. There is an increasing
awareness of the disadvantages of particular storage media. There are claims, for example, that CDROMs are not a long-term option as a storage medium. The need to ‘migrate’ information from one
form of media to another is becoming apparent. What is the future of microfilm? No doubt sooner or
later a more reliable digital storage technology will become available. However, already the problem
of dealing with different formats for the same document has to be faced. Maintaining both paper and
digital counterparts requires systems that are capable of referencing one against the other, and for
assigning authority to whichever one is deemed the ‘original’. This is particularly crucial where there
are legal or financial consequences. It will be the continuing role for librarians, archivists, and records
managers to manage this complex information environment.
22.
In libraries within educational establishments, where many of the workforce in the lifelong
learning sector are employed, the focus on online provision is becoming the norm.
In many
organisations there has been a move to merge libraries and IT services together, a process known as
‘convergence’. Academic libraries no longer only provide a physical space for students to access
information materials.
The development of virtual learning environments (VLEs) and content
management have become key activities.
Education librarians now see their role as enablers,
working alongside their teaching colleagues to deliver content direct to students’ desktops and to
develop their information literacy skills, wherever they might be.
23.
It is difficult to predict exactly what further changes IT will cause in the future. Libraries and
archives as organisations have been the pivotal institutions, being the physical manifestation of
repositories of knowledge. Their presence in the form of public, specialist, and academic libraries and
archives has been seen as a permanent fixture in the education and cultural infrastructure of the
economy. Now their presence and access to their information resources is being transformed by
technology. There is every likelihood that the trends outlined above will continue, with the result that
boundaries between institutions will become more blurred.
Users have little interest in who is
providing the information, as long as it is reliable, free, and readily available. Smaller and more
convenient devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) will become more prevalent, the
quantity of information resources available electronically will expand considerably and easier access
will be enabled by wi-fi and more portable hardware. There is potentially a leading role for the
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libraries, archives and information services workforce to provide information to people in new and
innovative ways.
24.
Environmental change – the Globalisation is no longer a slogan but a complex and highly
sophisticated reality which is affecting every part of our life…..
25.
Economic change – the changes in IT along with other socio-economic changes have
spawned an entirely new conceptual framework: the knowledge economy.
This is meant to
encapsulate the way that the institutions of society, both public and private, now recognise the
paramount role of knowledge in the economy. No longer is the UK distinguished in the world by its
ability to add value through its manufacturing industries; instead it is marked by its ability to add value
through knowledge, in the form of industries marked by strong intellectual content, eg
pharmaceuticals, chemicals, precision engineering, and service industries, particularly financial
services. If raw materials made up the fuel and substance of the UK’s manufacturing strength, it can
be argued that it is now knowledge and the harnessing of intellectual energy that drives the new UK
economy.
26.
Political change – in public libraries and archives the need to respond to initiatives within local
government, an increase in partnership working across different agencies and addressing the
agendas of the devolved governments within the UK have become particularly important. Initiatives
often come with complex funding arrangements, requiring suitably sophisticated responses in the form
of funding bids. The result of a bid being successful is a project, and project management has
become one of the key functions undertaken by those in management roles within the libraries,
archives and information services workforce. This involves the usual complexities, both technical and
political, that arise from any publicly funded project.
27.
An ever-expanding legislative framework relates to the provision of library, archive and
information services. The potentially conflicting requirements of the Data Protection Act and the
Freedom of Information Act require compliance with detailed protocols for the recording and provision
of information. The Equal Opportunities Act, the Disabilities Discrimination Act, employment acts,
freedom of information, health and safety legislation, together with numerous other legal requirements
impact upon the workforce at all levels.
28.
The social, economic, and political environment is therefore complex, not only for the public
sector but also for private corporations and organisations. The impact of recent events, such as the
collapse of Enron, will have significant ramifications on the recording requirements being placed on
privately owned companies.
In some areas of industry, eg pharmaceuticals, there are already
significant requirements for record-keeping over long periods of time, which becomes complex as
records media change. In corporations, the increasing focus on corporate governance will also have
an impact. For many privately owned companies, the knowledge contained in the organisation is their
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most important asset.
However, many are ill-equipped to manage and protect that knowledge.
Issues over intellectual property will become more important in the future, and having a
comprehensive audit trail for the development of that knowledge will be a key factor in deciding
ownership disputes. Yet it appears that many organisations have still not realised the need to have
professional records and information managers within their workforce.
29.
A series of initial consultation events held throughout the UK by LLUK during the first half of
2006 explored what skills employers and other stakeholders considered should form the core of the
next generation of National Occupational Standards. The report of the outcomes of this discussion is
listed in Annex E. Employers’ views on what they consider to be the core occupational skills validate
much of the content of the 2000 NOS and also closely match the skills gaps identified in responses to
the SSA Stage 1 questionnaire, which may suggest that existing qualification pathways are not
equipping new entrants to the workforce with the required capabilities and/or that the capabilities of
the existing workforce require significant updating.
Education and qualifications
30.
Vocational education (in its widest sense) for the libraries, archives and information services
workforce is not regulated by government, unlike the situation for certain other workforce groups in the
broader lifelong learning sector (eg teaching and youth work). It is diverse in nature and unevenly
available in relation to different roles and different career pathways within the workforce. Provision is
uneven in its geographical distribution, which mitigates against workforce development in some areas
of the UK.
31.
The professional bodies have influence on the content of higher education programmes through
their professional accreditation procedures. These processes takes some account of the employer
perspective, however the driver of a strategic employer perspective is currently limited by the absence
of an agreed sector qualifications strategy for the libraries, archives and information services
workforce.
This contributes to uncertainty and there is anecdotal evidence that engagement in
vocational education and training is hampered by a lack of knowledge about the availability and
content of education and training programmes, and about progression routes. The lack of prestige
attached to some types of vocational education and training, a lack of clarity about progression routes
and the funding of vocational education and training at all levels are also significant factors in the
current situation.
32.
Comprehensive data on the qualifications profile of the libraries, archives and information
services is limited, other than for those in membership of one of the professional bodies. Data does
exist, or can be extrapolated, for certain component areas of the workforce. For example in local
government 16% of the total local government workforce do not possess a qualification at level 2, and
in addition 11% do not possess any nationally accredited qualification. This represents 27% of the
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total local government workforce but how representative it is of the libraries, archives workforce is not
known.
33.
In the Skills Strategy White Paper – Realising our Potential, the concept of “entitlement” has
been introduced. This means that adults without a qualification at level 2 may be entitled to free
education and training to achieve a qualification at this level. The strategy is funded by the Learning
and Skills Council and provides a real opportunity … [check current situation on funding]
Vocational education and training
34.
Vocational education and training (not including higher education provision) leading to
nationally accredited qualifications that are specific to the libraries, archives and information services
workforce is currently very limited. Vocational qualifications are available only for those working on, or
intending to work on, a career pathway in libraries. Those vocational qualifications that existed for the
archives and information services career pathways were withdrawn in 2000 because of concerns
about their fitness for purpose and the consequent low take-up of them by employers and their staff.
35.
The awarding body City & Guilds currently offers National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at
Levels 2 and 3 in information and library services (qualification code 7371) and a Level 3 Progression
Award in library and information services (qualification code 7372). The current qualifications were
introduced in 2001 and are benchmarked to the current National Occupational Standards (approved in
2000). Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority
(SQA) were also available but were withdrawn in 2004 because of negligible take-up in Scotland.
Provision is primarily through further education colleges, however a small number of commercial
training providers offer the NVQs and a number of employers have in-house provision for their own
staff, usually linked to their training and development programmes.
The take-up of vocational
qualifications by the libraries, archives and information services workforce has been limited and there
is currently no provision in Scotland, Northern Ireland and some areas of England.
36.
A Modern Apprentice programme was introduced by the former Information Services National
Training Organisation (isNTO) in 2002 for the libraries career pathway however take-up has been
minimal, perhaps because of the relatively low level of recruitment of young people into the role of
library assistant.
37.
Pending the development of new National Occupational Standards during 2006-07, the lifespan
of these qualifications has been extended (in terms of the last date for new enrolments) until July
2008. The intention is that they will then be replaced by a new generation of vocational qualifications
across the UK which will have broader applicability across the libraries, archives and information
services workforce and clearer progression into both higher education programmes and professional
qualifications.
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38.
More recently the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) has led the development of a
vocational qualification to accredit and extend the training and development associated with the
introduction of the Peoples’ Network in public libraries across the UK.
The Diploma/Advanced
Diploma in Information and Communications Technology in Libraries is accredited and awarded by
the SQA at levels 7/8 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (equivalent to levels 3/4
elsewhere in the UK). This is a modular, work-based vocational qualification that uses a variety of
assessment methodologies. Full details are available at www.ictl.org.uk
39.
Vocational training and qualifications are also available in a number of related areas such as
information and communications technology (ICT), customer care, supervisory skills and
management. These may be short courses or longer programmes leading to formal qualifications,
and are available through a range of local and national providers.
Information on all nationally
accredited qualifications is available through the National Database of Accredited Qualifications at
www.openquals.org.uk
Higher education
40.
Vocational education and training for those aspiring to work in professional roles in libraries,
archives and information services is provided at under-graduate and post-graduate level by a number
of universities throughout the UK, with the exception of Northern Ireland where there is currently no
vocationally-relevant provision. There are both full-time and part-time programmes available, and
there are also distance-learning programmes available from the universities of Wales at Aberystwyth,
the Robert Gordon University at Aberdeen, Dundee and Northumbria.
41.
In addition to under-graduate and post-graduate programmes, there are also a small number of
non-graduate programmes provided by or awarded by universities. The two programmes of longest
standing are the Higher National in Information and Library Services awarded by the Scottish
Qualifications Authority and provided by Telford College Edinburgh, and the Diploma in Higher
Education at Liverpool University’s Centre for Archive Studies. More recently in England there has
been the introduction of the Foundation Degree, a qualification at Levels 4/5 and corresponding to the
first two years of an under-graduate programme. The concept of a Foundation degree has been
developed with the aim of actively involving employers locally and strategically (through the sector
skills councils) in both the development and delivery of these work-based programmes.
Professional development and qualifications
42.
Professional qualifications and continuing professional development opportunities for those
working in professional roles in libraries, archives and information services are provided by the
Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP) and the Society of Archivists (SoA).
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43.
CILIP, formed in 2002 from the merger of two previous organisations, is the recognised
professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers, with a membership
of approximately 23,000 in 2006. The expanded CILIP Framework of Qualifications was introduced in
April 2005 and provides recognition of professional standing at a number of levels. In addition to
Chartered Member and Chartered Fellow, there is now Certificated Membership for para-professional
roles and a voluntary Revalidation Scheme.
Full details of the Framework are available at
www.cilip.org/qualificationschartership In summary, the pathway through CILIP’s Framework is as
follows:

Certification is for CILIP members working as library and information assistants in para-
professional roles. Certification requires evidence of experience and of formal/informal learning
and development, evidenced through a portfolio which is assessed.
Progression from
Certificated status to Chartered Member is possible, subject to certain conditions.

Chartered Membership is recognition of a high standard of professional practice in library
and information work and a commitment to CPD in order to maintain professional currency.
Chartered status is normally awarded after completion of a CILIP-accredited programme of
higher education in library and information work plus evidence, in the form of a portfolio, of
further learning and development in professional practice.

Fellowship is the highest professional qualification awarded by CILIP. It signifies that a
Chartered Member has developed the potential identified by that award and has applied an
increasing level of professionalism both through professional practice and through the
contribution made to the profession at large.
44.
As outlined in CILIP’s Code of Professional Practice, all Chartered Members have a
commitment to improving and enhancing professional practice. The CILIP Revalidation scheme offers
formal recognition of the CPD required to maintain professional knowledge and expertise.
The
scheme is voluntary, portfolio-based and operates over a three-year period. It is not expected that
members will need to take on extra work or undertake further study, but that they will critically
evaluate personal learning outcomes from a range of training and development activities.
45.
CILIP accredits undergraduate and postgraduate library and information courses in England,
Wales and Scotland. The accreditation process is primarily concerned with assessing the relevance
of the course to current and developing practice in librarianship and information science, and courses
are assessed using the CILIP Accreditation Instrument. Initial accreditation may be for anything up to
five years, however, CILIP will review accreditation if there are substantial changes to either the
content of the course or within the academic institution.
Accreditation is a voluntary, non-
governmental and collegial process of self-review and peer review. CILIP has an Accreditation Board,
which oversees the process, using the Accreditation Instrument.
Further details, including the
Accreditation Instrument are at www.cilip.org.uk/qualificationschartership/wheretostudy
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46.
During 2005 CILIP developed the “Seal of Recognition” process, which was awarded for the
first time in 2006. This enables any provider of relevant training, which can include commercial,
academic and in-house provision, and which falls outside the existing CILIP procedures for the
recognition and accreditation of undergraduate and postgraduate provision to gain accredited status.
This accreditation can apply to the provider or to specific items within a training portfolio, such as
short courses, seminars and other events. These may then be more easily credited as part of an
individual’s CPD programme.
Full details of the Seal of Recognition are available at
www.cilip.org.uk/qualifications/chartership/seal
47.
CILIP itself is a significant provider of short courses through its training subsidiary CILIP
Training & Development. The current portfolio includes a range of over 120 short courses with 90
different topics and available at a number of venues across the UK. Full details are available at
www.cilip.org.uk/training/training
48.
The Society of Archivists, formed in 1954, is the recognised professional body for archivists,
archive conservators and records managers. In 2006 its membership stood at just over 1,800 – the
majority of whom hold a postgraduate qualification in archives and/or records management.
Membership includes the category of “Registered Member” for those admitted to the Professional
Register of the Society, which is now only conferred on those with professional competence and
experience, and a demonstrable commitment to CPD as evidenced by successful completion of the
Society’s Registration Scheme. Entry to the Registration Scheme is normally reserved for those
possessing an accredited postgraduate qualification.
49.
The normal means of qualification for those aspiring to professional status in archives and
records management is through the educational programmes offered by universities in the UK and
accredited by the Society. The procedure for the accreditation of higher education programmes was
introduced in 1984. The accreditation procedure has two functions:

To ensure that programmes provide professional education of appropriate content and
standard, thereby providing students with confidence in the programme and the assurance that,
once achieved, their qualification will be recognised by employers, professional colleagues and
other educational institutions

To ensure the maintenance of a dialogue between the Society and each programme
provider, thereby promoting mutual co-operation and the development of professional
awareness.
50.
Programmes offered by the universities vary in content and structure, reflecting the variety of
skills and knowledge required by archivists and records managers.
The Society’s accreditation
process recognises this and acknowledges that all subjects cannot be covered to the same level and
that programmes employ a variety of teaching methods. However the accreditation process seeks to
ensure that all programmes include a minimum level of development in specific areas, to provide
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students with sufficient knowledge and skills to begin work as an archivist or records manager at an
appropriate level.
51.
Continuing professional development opportunities, in a variety of styles, are widely available.
Both the professional bodies have special interest and/or geographical groups that facilitate
professional networking and the sharing of professional practice. Many of these groups organise
events at either a national or local level. CILIP provides a significant portfolio of short courses aimed
at staff in both professional and support roles.
Career structures and progression
52.
The qualification structure of the Information Services sector appears to be dominated by the
issue of professional status. Other sectors, most notably HRD, have dealt with similar issues. It is
notable that a major change in that sector came with the merger of the Institute of Personnel and the
Institute of Training, subsequently leading to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
(CIPD). This professional body has been at the forefront of integrating NVQs and SVQs into their
membership criteria, and could provide important lessons for the Information Services sector.
PARAGRAPHS IN ITALIC TEXT ARE AS YET UNEDITED TEXT FROM THE 2002 OCCUPATIONAL
MAP
53.
The demand for, and the demands on, the Information Services sector continue to grow.
However, there are proportionately fewer professionals available to meet these demands.
The
statistical and anecdotal evidence suggest that the number of professionals in the core occupational
groups have largely remained the same.
The significant difference since five years ago is that
personnel in more junior or para-professional roles have been taking on more responsibilities.
Whether they are called eg library assistant or information assistant, these people have been
undertaking activities that would have been seen as the preserve of the professional. This has been
due to the twin pressures of increasing management responsibilities that the professionals have to
meet, while at the same time the demand for services has increased substantially. There has though
been a move to create more senior posts to reflect the increasing responsibility of non-professional
staff.
54.
The higher level of responsibility of the role of the assistant is also being fuelled by the
increased supply of people leaving full-time education with a degree. Younger people are also leaving
education equipped with IT skills that many older staff have not had the opportunity or desire to
acquire. On the other hand, the higher skill level of assistants means that they are less satisfied with
the relatively poor salaries on offer in the sector. This leads to retention problems amongst new staff.
At the same time, increasing pressures on services, particularly longer access hours and the need to
meet the needs of a diverse range of customers, can also make the occupation less attractive than it
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once was. The reward to stress ratio might be swinging too far to the stress side for many to stay in
the sector.
55.
The career structure has been based on the pre-eminent role of the ‘professional’. Naturally
the professional bodies have been keen to establish and preserve the status of their members, and
have promoted themselves as a graduate level profession.
With graduate status not having the
premium it once had, the tendency now is for librarians in particular to emphasis the post-graduate
nature of the profession. Achievement of a qualification from one of the ‘library schools’ has been
seen as a key entry route into the profession. Archives apart, those in the sector do not always view
the curricula of these bodies as immediately relevant to the practice that takes place post-qualification.
This in itself is not unique to professional-level qualifications, but it can appear that the achievement of
post-graduate qualifications is viewed as more a professional rite of passage than as a valuable
developmental tool.
56.
The role of professional status is to create boundaries. In the most positive way, this is to
ensure that those who enter the profession are equipped intellectually and practically to fulfil the role of
a professional. However, it can have negative consequences as well, for it can restrict access to the
top jobs to those who choose other routes to progression, or who have tended to rise through what are
perceived as the lower levels. Trying to achieve a balance between these contradictory forces is one
of the most difficult challenges facing the professional bodies. The newly merged professional body,
CILIP, will be reviewing its entry requirements and might well suggest new qualification routes for
achieving professional status.
Relationship with other workforce groups within the lifelong learning sector
and to other occupational sectors
57.
With the formation of the Skills for Business network of 25 sector skills councils, the libraries,
archives and information services workforce was one of five workforce groups that came together to
form the constituent parts of Lifelong Learning UK in January 2005. The five constituencies of higher
education, further education, community learning and development, work-based learning and libraries,
archives and information services all share an affinity in terms of their roles in delivering of supporting
the delivery of lifelong learning opportunities. Library staff, and a smaller number of archives staff,
have key roles in most higher and further education establishments, supporting and in some cases
delivering learning. The capabilities of the library staff in the education world are increasingly focused
on supporting learners on formal learning programmes. Some library staff have hold teacher, trainer
or assessor qualifications. The pervasive role of information as a resource for learning creates a
natural affinity between the libraries, archives and information services workforce and the other
workforce groups that comprise the broader lifelong learning sector.
58.
Higher education – libraries are integral to the delivery of programmes of learning…
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59.
Further education – libraries in most colleges of further education have been transformed in
the last decade into learning centres…
60.
Community-based learning and development – libraries and archives can provide support to
both individual learners and to groups of learners through the provision of information and materials to
support learning, and in the provision of study space and access to ICT facilities for learners who may
not have these facilities elsewhere. ..
61.
Work-based learning – libraries, in particular, can provide support to learners in a workplace
setting through the provision of information and materials to support learning, and in the provision of
study space and access to ICT facilities for individual learners who may not have these facilities in the
workplace or at home. Public libraries provide a service to all who live or work within their catchment
areas; the national libraries provide access to their collections subject to certain conditions and some
educational establishments also enable access. A number of public library authorities are access
points for Learndirect provision; others provide a referral service to providers of more formal lifelong
learning programmes.
All of these facilities are equally available to workplace trainers in the
preparation of learning programmes as they are to individual learners. Some staff in the libraries,
archives and information service workforce will be involved directly in the delivery of work-based
learning to their own staff and will have teacher, trainer or assessor qualifications.
Relationship with other occupational sectors
62.
The widespread employment and pervasive role of the Information Services sector inevitably
means that it the lais workforce has close proximity and in many ways overlaps other occupational and
industrial sectors. There are of course some sectors, eg health, where the impact of information
services has become particularly important. It has an educational role for health care professionals,
but it is also paramount in the development of the information infrastructure that the NHS will be
requiring to enable it to operate.
This is not just about medical records, but also relates to the
production of sophisticated management information. However, this sector has no greater claim of a
relationship to the Information Services sector than any other industrial sector.
The Information
Services sector is cross-sectoral, and therefore it will have an impact on almost every other sector.
63.
Below we focus only on those sectors to which a large part of the Information Services sector
can relate. However, regardless of whether those listed below are formally recognised as sectors,
there is nonetheless a relationship between them and the Information Services sector. As there is no
clear taxonomy of what constitute other sectors, particular at a time when National Training
Organisations are being replaced by Sector Skills Councils, it is difficult to identify the extent of the
relationships.
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64.
Cultural heritage – there has been discussion over many years about the relationship between
libraries & archives and museums & galleries. The Museums and Galleries Commission and the
Library and Information Commission were merged in 2000 to form Re:source, which also includes
archives in its remit. Re:source is now funding regional cross-domain library, museum and archive
councils, and these services, together with others, are included in local and regional cultural
strategies. There are overlaps in occupational and functional terms in areas such as conservation and
interpretation which involve the possibility of sharing occupational standards, and there is a more
general connection through the educational commitments of the three domains. Nevertheless, many
important parts of the Information Services sector see no connection between their work and that of
museums and galleries, and are uneasy at being seen as 'cultural' services.
65.
Information technology – apparently there is an obvious relationship between information
services and information technology. Both appear to be about information, and information services
have been transformed by the introduction of IT. Information professionals use IT as their key tool to
deliver information services. There is also an increasing role for information professionals to act as
intermediaries between customers and the IT suppliers, by assessing the information needs of
customers and assisting in the development of the technical specification of the technology. However,
it can also be argued that IT is an even more pervasive sector than information services. Information
technology and computer systems have been the revolutionary force behind all economic activity in
recent times; there is not one sector that cannot claim a close relationship between itself and IT. In
addition, it must be remembered that IT as a sector is a complex combination of different sub-sectors,
comprising manufacturers of hardware, software developers, installers, and a host of IT service
companies. Within many of the companies one will find a wide variety of occupations, including
designers, sales people, and consultants.
So while information services has a relationship with
information technology, its precise areas of overlap will have to be considered carefully in any future
work.
66.
The schools sector – here are clear links between information services and education.
Information workers can be found in nearly all educational establishments. Their role as enablers is
coming to the fore, as they work alongside teaching professionals to deliver learning.
The
convergence of information technology services and libraries has strengthened this role. Within public
libraries there is also the sense of a strong educational mission. Nonetheless it can be argued that the
role of information services is still primarily a support role, although a vitally important one, in providing
an information structure to support the delivery of learning and, in particular, in giving help and
guidance to the independent learner'.
67.
Administration – Administration, as an occupational sector, is concerned with the
maintenance of organisations. At the heart of this are the records of the organisation. As the impact
of IT and the problems of having both paper and electronic formats become more acute, it is likely that
records management will become recognised as a crucial role in organisations.
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However,
Page 21
administration itself has changed significantly. The massive increase in the use of IT, as manifested in
the use of call centres, has transformed the way organisations operate.
The use of information
workers might well determine how well organisations harness this technology.
68.
Advice and Guidance – There is a strong overlap between the provision of advice and
guidance and the provision of information services.
The provision of information is part of the
spectrum of functions that contain advice and guidance.
While advice and guidance workers
recognise that their aim is not just to provide information, the actual creation and dissemination of
information is very much part of their activities. Information workers also recognise the importance of
advice and guidance in the delivery of information, and this includes counselling. In other words, both
sectors would recognise many of their activities in the other’s activities. This is the case not just in
services for the public (where both sectors would understand fully the social and political environments
they operated in), but also in services for the private sector, eg through the establishment of business
information and advice services. It is not the case that either sector could encompass the other
sector, but that between them the spectrum of activities appears more seamless and on an equal
footing than in any of the other sectors reviewed above.
69.
Publishing – In the past publishers were seen as providers of books and journals, in effect
suppliers to the Information Services sector. The impact of the internet has blurred this relationship.
Information workers do not just passively receive information and pass it on; they are actively involved
in the creation of new information portals. Web-site design and implementation are both seen as
important new roles for the Information Services sector. Information content is often repackaged for
delivery, eg through virtual learning environments.
Again it is not surprising if there is greater
collaboration between information services and publishing in the future.
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Annex A
Change drivers influencing the libraries, archives and information
services workforce
1.
This annex lists the change drivers originally identified at the Skills Foresight events 2002-04,
which reflect the skills needs identified by the 2006 research for the Sector Skills Agreement.
2.
3.
4.
Social drivers for change:

Social inclusion agenda and equality of access

Expanding customer base and more diverse range of learners

24/7 society

Lifelong learning

Changing population demographics

Changes in career structures and working styles

Cultural diversity
Technological drivers for change:

Continuing rapid technological change

More home/business/education computer use

Increasing availability of information resources online

Expectations of remote access and demand for services online

Divide between IT-literate/enabled and non IT-literate

Expectations of information online being free of charge

Licensing and copyright

Government agenda on e-government

Increasing use of e-learning

Introduction of Learndirect provision through some libraries

Internet search engines

Wi-fi and third-generation mobile technology

Music and video downloading

Digitisation
Environmental drivers for change:

Green agenda

Climatic change

Community regeneration

Transport agenda and infrastructure
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5.
6.
Economic drivers for change:

Shrinking core funding

Move to a funding methodology where bidding is required

Move to output-based and performance related funding

Pressure to decrease public spending
Political drivers for change:

Outcome approach to delivery: pressure “to deliver” from central and local government

Ever changing national and local government priorities

Government agenda on e-government

Government agenda on children and vulnerable young people

New and changing legislation: eg, data protection, copyright, freedom of information, child
protection

European agenda
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Annex B
Change impacts on the libraries, archives and information services
workforce
1.
This annex sets out the impact of change on the libraries, archives and information services
workforce identified at the Skills Foresight events 2002-04.
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Annex C
Skills needs for the libraries, archives and information services
workforce identified in research for the LLUK Sector Skills
Agreement
1.
Research for stage 1 of the Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) identified the following skills issues
for the libraries, archives and information services workforce:
a.
Skills gaps in ICT user skills.
b.
Skills gaps in library, archive and information skills specific to the workforce.
c.
Skills gaps in customer care skills.
d.
Skills gaps in management and leadership skills.
This annex provides a short analysis of each of the skills shortage areas identified in the SSA
research and outlines in more detail those skills gaps that employers identified in response to the SSA
questionnaire circulated in September 2006. Reference is also made to the earlier isNTO Skills
Foresight work, carried out from 2002-04.
Skills gaps in ICT user skills
2.
Technology is having a major influence on the workforce, particularly the use of the internet,
digitisation and the increasing development of remote access to services. At the same time,
technological change has brought with it higher expectations on the part of many users of information
services, who anticipate that the latest technology will be available and that staff will be skilled in
supporting its use. Despite ongoing workforce development in some areas, the libraries, archives and
information services workforce continues to require significant investment in ICT skills updating in
order to keep pace with technological change. There is clear evidence that many employers see the
need to develop workforce skills beyond basic ICT user skills to the more sophisticated skill-sets
required to make best use of the internet and other online resources. A smaller number of individuals
within the workforce require the skills to contribute to the creation and management of content in
information systems.
3.
Employers specifically mentioned the following skills shortages in their responses to the 2006
SSA questionnaire:
Database building.
Digitisation of collections.
Management of metadata.
Developing e-libraries and collections.
Basic ICT user skills.
Advanced ICT user skills, eg programming and systems management.
ICT systems development.
Web design.
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Web development and content management.
Supporting customers of information services in making best use of ICT.
4.
A consideration of the current and earlier research into skills needs highlights the following:
a.
Responses to the 2006 SSA survey found that more than one third of library, archive and
information services employers were dissatisfied with the specific technical and professional
skills of their existing staff in professional roles. In addition, one fifth were dissatisfied with the
technical and professional skills of their other staff.
b.
Employers also reported skills shortages with 37% indicating that applicants for
professional roles lacked technical and professional skills, while 32% of employers felt that
other staff lacked these skills.
c.
Some employers stated that there is a need for librarians to advance their cataloguing
and selection skills.
d.
Analysis of the qualifications of individuals from the CILIP database shows that they are
already highly skilled in terms of qualifications, with nearly two thirds being graduates.
e.
The earlier 2003 Skills Foresight report found that less than half of employers felt that
their existing staff had the technical skills required to meet the future skills needs and just two
fifths of employers felt that their current staff had the ICT skills necessary to meet the future
skills needs.
f.
The 2003 Skills Foresight report also found that extensive ICT training had been
undertaken within some organisations – in the main this was the ICT user skills development
programme for public library staff funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Future ICT training
needs were identified as staff keeping abreast of changing technology and upskilling to
undertake more complex tasks in response to more sophisticated demands from customers.
g.
In their responses to the 2006 SSA questionnaire, employers were more divided in their
approach to addressing ICT skills: 28% of employers stated that ICT skills gaps should be met
by training existing staff; 18% indicated that new staff should be recruited; and 17% reported
that skills needs should be met by outsourcing to consultants.
Skills gaps in library, archive and information skills specific to the workforce
5.
It might be assumed that in the area of skills specific to the workforce there would not be
evidence of skills gaps and deficiencies. However, skills fade and the lack of adequate and consistent
updating by individuals of their specialist skills are factors which concern employers. Increasingly,
many of the specialist tasks undertaken by the workforce are impacted upon by developments in
ICT, especially now the development of information content, rather than systems and hardware. Skills
updating therefore needs to take account of the impact of technology and include the evolution of
traditional skills into new (electronic) versions of these skills which are necessary to cope with new
media and information formats. It is therefore virtually impossible to separate these skills from some
level of ICT user skills. Employers stated that these skills gaps are predominantly at Level 4 and
above.
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6.
Associated with this area of skills, in particular, are issues of recruitment into the workforce and
the average age of the workforce. Employers report difficulties in recruiting skilled applicants for a
number of professional roles in the workforce. A survey carried out by the MLA in 2005 found that
nearly one third of library staff in England will retire in the next 10 years. The National Library of
Wales, a large employer in this occupational area, has also recently undertaken an audit of its own
staff, finding a similar situation. The MLA report found that a number of library authorities were
already feeling the effects of demographic change, with 59% reporting that they were already
experiencing difficulties in filling vacancies. The MLA report suggests that around 10,800 new recruits
to the workforce in England alone will be needed by 2010. The problem is particularly acute for the
recruitment of staff into professional roles.
7.
Employers specifically mentioned the following skills shortages in their responses to the 2006
SSA questionnaire:
Cataloguing and indexing
Collection management
Stock selection
Conservation and preservation
Information retrieval
Information management
Knowledge management
Content and document management
8.
A consideration of the current and earlier research into skills needs highlights the following:
a.
According to the 2003 Skills Foresight report, participants in the study were of the opinion
that technical skills gaps should be addressed by training their existing staff rather than
recruiting new staff.
b.
Almost three in ten employers (29%) were dissatisfied with the professional development
activities undertaken by staff in professional roles. Just over one quarter (27%) were
dissatisfied with the professional development activities undertaken by other staff.
c.
In the 2005 Local Government Employers’ Organisation survey of the library workforce in
England and Wales, 96% of authorities reported recruitment difficulties to professional posts in
comparison to 41% reporting difficulties with recruiting administrative staff.
Skills gaps in customer care skills
9.
In relation to the interface between customers and the workforce, people now expect a much
higher quality of service from their libraries and archives, and the workforce needs good customer
skills, such as an understanding of different age groups, social groups and learning styles. Libraries,
in particular, will have an increasing role to play in supporting adults with basic literacy needs.
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Page 3
10.
In 2002, Northern Ireland’s Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure published Northern
Ireland’s Libraries: A Framework for Change which set out a vision for a modern library service with a
strong customer focus. It emphasised the need to develop skills to build confidence and competence
among library users. The paper went on to state “The changing demands on library services mean
that traditional skills of library staff need to be re-examined. For example the need for libraries to
engage with particular groups in the community may require skills relating to youth work, early years
education or training. This will impact on recruitment, training and development of new skill-sets”.
11.
Likewise in Wales, where CyMAL: Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales’ Action Plan 2006 –
March 2008 placed strong emphasis on the development of bilingual services and extending access
to new audiences. In England, the 2003 paper Framework for the Future identified the vital role that
libraries have to play in supporting adults with basic literacy skills. It went on to state that libraries are
ideally placed to recognise and support people who might benefit from tuition. In Scotland, the
Government emphasis on lifelong learning and social inclusion, together with changing demographic
trends are predicated as being likely to make large demands on the service, especially those related
to learning. As well as having to be proficient in the use of technology library staff will also play an
important role as educators and supporters of ICT use, particularly for those users from more
disadvantaged backgrounds.
12.
Employers specifically mentioned the following skills shortages in their responses to the 2006
SSA questionnaire:
Customer care skills.
Inter-personal skills.
Communication skills.
Welsh language skills.
Other language skills, eg ethnic minority languages.
13.
The following issues were highlighted in either the current research for the SSA or the earlier
isNTO work:
a.
Responses to the 2006 SSA survey indicated that between 18% and 26% of employers
report that applicants for professional and support professional roles lack transferable skills
including communication skills and bilingual skills.
b.
Between 8% to 11% of employers report that applicants for professional and other roles
lack employability skills including customer care skills and problem solving.
c.
One third of employers reported that their existing professional staff lack adequate
transferable skills, including communication and bilingual skills.
d.
In Wales, just over half of employers reported that they were satisfied with the Welsh
language skills of their staff.
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Page 4
e.
Responses to the 2006 SSA survey indicated that the vast majority of employers expect
the demand for communication skills, language skills, customer-service skills and problem
solving skills to increase over the next five to ten years.
f.
The 2003 Skills Foresight report found that less than half of employers (44%) felt that
their existing staff had the skills required in order to meet the future need for improved levels of
customer care. The earlier 2000 Skills Foresight report found that just 34% of employers
believed that existing staff had the necessary customer care skills.
g.
The 2003 Skills Foresight report found that more than half of employers felt that the skills
gap for customer care skills should be addressed by training existing staff. Only one fifth of
employers believed that new staff should be recruited to address this skills gap.
h.
Responses to the 2006 SSA survey indicated that more than one quarter of employers
report that they were dissatisfied with the continuing professional development activities
undertaken by their staff at all levels.
i.
A small proportion (20%) of employers were dissatisfied with the further education and
training undertaken by their administrative staff and 19% of employers were dissatisfied with the
further education and training undertaken by their managerial staff.
Skills gap in management and leadership skills
14.
Employers consistently report skills gaps in management and leadership. This skills gap is
evident across the UK and employers state that the skills needs are predominantly at Level 4 and
above.
15.
In England, the 2003 paper Framework for the Future identified some of the challenges facing
the sector. A generation of leaders recruited into the library profession thirty or more years ago is due
to retire within the next few years. Developing a new generation of library leaders fully trained in
business management and marketing skills is therefore an urgent priority. There is scope for public
libraries to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with those businesses that recognise the
importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Libraries provide an excellent means for such
companies to implement CSR programmes aimed at supporting local communities, lifelong learning
and combating social exclusion. They also emphasised devising workforce development and
leadership plans for the library service, the creation of a national leadership programme and creating
a fundraising and business development capacity to explore opportunities for raising external funds
from foundations and private sponsors. In Wales, CyMAL’s Action Plan 2006-2008 placed specific
emphasis on the need to develop the capacity of staff to access new funding sources.
16.
Employers specifically mentioned the following skills shortages in their responses to the 2006
SSA questionnaire:
Leadership.
Strategic management.
General management and supervisory skills.
Occupational map for the LAIS workforce – ver 6: 4 Dec 06
Page 5
Advocacy and team working.
Project management.
Financial management.
Bid writing and fund-raising.
Conflict management.
Entrepreneurship and innovation.
Performance management.
17.
The following issues were highlighted in either the current research for the SSA or the earlier
isNTO work:
a.
Responses to the 2006 SSA survey indicated that one in six employers of the libraries,
archives and information services workforce were dissatisfied with the skills and competences
of staff in managerial roles.
b.
Responses to the 2006 SSA survey indicated that between 14% and 19% of employers
were dissatisfied with the further education and training undertaken by staff in managerial roles.
c.
Stakeholders in the libraries, archives and information services constituency identify a
lack of people with advocacy skills and with top level strategic leadership/management skills.
d.
An earlier 2003 isNTO study found that between 44% and 46% of employers felt that
existing managerial staff had the required skills to meet future skills needs.
e.
The 2003 isNTO study found that more than half of employers believed that skills gaps
for staff in management roles should be addressed by developing the existing managerial staff.
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Page 6
Annex D
Degree courses offered by UK universities in library, archive and
records management – 2006
Undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in library and information studies
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Postgraduate Diploma /
MSc Electronic Information Management.
Full-time, part-time & distance learning.
CILIP accredited.
Postgraduate Diploma / MSc Information Analysis.
Full-time, part-time & distance learning.
CILIP accredited.
Postgraduate Diploma /
MSc Information & Library Studies.
Full-time, part-time & distance learning.
CILIP accredited.
Postgraduate Diploma /
MSc Information Management.
Distance learning. CILIP accredited.
Postgraduate Diploma /
MSc Knowledge Management.
Full-time, part-time, distance learning.
CILIP accredited.
University of Wales at Aberystwyth
BSc Econ Information & Library Studies
(Single and Joint Honours).
Full-time and distance learning (including major/
minor combinations). CILIP accredited.
BSc Econ Information Management (Major).
Full-time. CILIP accredited.
BSc Econ Information Management (Single
Honours). CILIP accredited.
MSc Econ / Postgraduate Diploma Information &
Library Studies.
Full-time & distance learning. CILIP accredited.
MSc Econ / Postgraduate Diploma Information
Management.
Full-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc Econ / Postgraduate Diploma Management of
Libraries & Information Services.
Distance Learning. CILIP accredited.
MSc Econ / Postgraduate Diploma Health
Information Management.
Distance learning. CILIP accredited.
MSc Econ Information Systems.
Full-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc Econ / Postgraduate Diploma Records
Management.
Full-time & distance learning. CILIP accredited.
Occupational map for the LAIS workforce – ver 6: 4 Dec 06
Tel: 01224 263900
E-mail: slis@rgu.ac.uk
www.rgu.ac.uk/~sim/sim.htm
Tel: 01970 622188
E-mail: dis-dept@aber.ac.uk
www.dis.aber.ac.uk
Page 1
University of Brighton
MA Health Informatics.
CILIP accredited.
BA (Hons) Information Management.
CILIP accredited.
MA Information Management.
Post-experience course.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
MA Information Studies
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
BA (Hons) Library & Information Studies.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
University of the West of England, Bristol
MSc Information & Library Management.
Full-time and part-time. CILIP accredited.
Napier University, Edinburgh
BSc (Hons) Information Technology Management.
CILIP accredited.
MSc / PGDip Information Services Management.
CILIP accredited.
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
MSc Digital Libraries.
CILIP accredited.
Postgraduate Diploma / MSc Information and
Library Studies.
CILIP accredited.
Leeds Metropolitan University
Postgraduate Diploma /
MSc Information Studies.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
Liverpool John Moores University
BA (Hons) Business Management & Information.
Full-time. CILIP accredited.
Postgraduate Diploma / MA / MSc Information and
Library Management.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
Tel: 01273 642428
E-mail: p.g.b.enser@bton.ac.uk
www.cmis.brighton.ac.uk
0117 32 83333
E-mail: Admissions@uwe.ac.uk
Tel: 0131 455 2700
www.soc.napier.ac.uk
Tel: 0141 548 3700
E-mail: gsienquiries@cis.strath.ac.uk
www.gsi.strath.ac.uk
Tel. 0113 283 2600 ext 7421
E-mail: c.rankin@lmu.ac.uk
www.lmu.ac.uk/ies/im
Contact: Janet Farrow
Tel: 0151 231 3596
E-mail: a.j.farrow@livjm.ac.uk
www.ljmu.ac.uk/BSN/BSN_IMG/588
21.htm
City University, London
Postgraduate Diploma / MSc Information Science.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
Postgraduate Diploma / MSc Information
Management (Post-experience course).
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
Occupational map for the LAIS workforce – ver 6: 4 Dec 06
Tel: 020 7040 0239 or 0248
Email: pgenquire@soi.city.ac.uk
www.soi.city.ac.uk
Page 2
Postgraduate Diploma / MA / MSc Library &
Information Studies.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
MA / MSc in Information Management in the
Cultural Sector.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc Geographic Information Management.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
University College London
Postgraduate Diploma / MA Library & Information
Studies.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc Information Science (Post-experience).
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
MA Electronic Communication & Publishing.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
London Metropolitan University
MA Information Services Management.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc Information and Knowledge Management.
CILIP accredited.
MSc Digital Information Management.
CILIP accredited.
Thames Valley University, London
MA Information Management (Library and
Information Services Pathway).
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
Loughborough University
BSc Information Management & Computing
(3/4 year full-time, non sandwich/sandwich modes
year). CILIP accredited.
BSc Information Management & Business Studies
(3/4 year full-time, non sandwich/sandwich modes
year). CILIP accredited.
MA/MSc Information and Library Management.
CILIP accredited.
MSc Information and Knowledge Management.
CILIP accredited.
MSc Electronic Publishing.
CILIP accredited.
Manchester Metropolitan University
BA (Hons) Information & Library Management.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
BSc (Hons) Information Management.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
MA / PG Dip Library and Information Management.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc / PG Dip Information Management.
Full-time & part-time. CILIP accredited
Occupational map for the LAIS workforce – ver 6: 4 Dec 06
Tel: 020 7040 0239 or 0248
Email: pgenquire@soi.city.ac.uk
www.soi.city.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7679 7204
E-mail: k.michaels@ucl.ac.uk
www.ucl.ac.uk/slais
Tel: 020 7133 4200
E-mail:
admissions.north@londonmet.ac.uk
www.londonmet.ac.uk/depts/dass/su
bjectareas/informationmanagement/
Tel: 020 8579 5000
E-mail: learning.advice@tvu.ac.uk
www.tvu.ac.uk
Contact: Heather Rees
Tel: 01509 223051/223052
E-mail: h.l.rees@lboro.ac.uk
lboro.ac.uk/departments/ls/
Tel: 0161 247 6144
E-mail: infcomms-hums@mmu.ac.uk
www.mmu.ac.uk/h-ss/dic/
Page 3
Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne
MA/MSc Information & Library Management.
Full-time & distance learning.
CILIP accredited.
Tel: 0191 227 4917
E-mail:
ceis.general@northumbria.ac.uk
MA/MSc Information Studies (Post-experience
course).
Distance learning. CILIP accredited.
MA/MSc International Information Studies. Postexperience course.
Distance learning. CILIP accredited.
MSc Web Information Management.
Distance learning. CILIP accredited.
MSc Records Management.
Distance learning. CILIP accredited.
www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/academic
/ceis/subs/?view=Standard
University of Sheffield
BSc Information Management.
Full-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc Information Management.
Full-time and part-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc Information Systems.
Full-time and part-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc Chemo-Informatics.
Full-time and part-time. CILIP accredited.
MSc Health Informatics.
Part-time by distance learning. CILIP accredited.
MA Librarianship.
Full-time and part-time. CILIP accredited.
Still to add: Foundation degree programmes:
Tel: 0114 222 2630
E-mail: dis@sheffield.ac.uk
www.shef.ac.uk/is
Leeds
Northumbria
Coventry / Warwickshire College
Occupational map for the LAIS workforce – ver 6: 4 Dec 06
Page 4
Undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in archives and records management
University of Wales at Aberystwyth
MSc / Diploma in Archive Administration.
Full-time and distance learning.
SoA accredited.
MSc / Diploma in Records Management.
Full-time and distance learning.
SoA accredited.
Contact: Sarah Horton
Tel: 01970 622182
E-mail: orh@aber.ac.uk
www.dis.aber.ac.uk
University College Dublin, the National University of Ireland
Higher Diploma in Archival Studies.
SoA accredited.
Tel: 00353 171 67555
E-mail: archives@ucd.ie
www.ucd.ie/archives
University of Dundee
MLitt / Diploma / Certificate in Archives and
Records Management.
Distance learning programme. SoA accredited.
Tel: 01382 385543
E-mail: armtraining@dundee.ac.uk
www.dundee.ac.uk
University of Glasgow
MSc in Information Management and Preservation
(Digital) / MSc in Information Management
(Archives and Records Management).
Full-time. SoA accredited
Certificate / Diploma in Information Management
and Preservation (Digital) or (Archives and Records
Management).
Full-time. SoA accredited.
Liverpool University
Masters / Diploma / Certificate of Archives and
Records Management.
Full-time. SoA accredited.
Masters / Diploma / Certificate of Archives and
Records Management (International).
Full-time. SoA accredited.
Diploma / Certificate in Professional Studies:
Records and Information Management
Distance learning programme. SoA accredited.
Diploma / Certificate in Professional Studies:
Archives and Records Management
Distance learning programme. SoA accredited.
Occupational map for the LAIS workforce – ver 6: 4 Dec 06
Tel: 0141 330 4575
E-mail: imp@hatii.arts.gla.ac.uk
www.gla.ac.uk
Contact: Caroline Williams
Tel: 0151 794 2411
E-mail: williamsc@liv.ac.uk
www.liv.ac.uk/lucas
Page 5
University College London
MA / Diploma / Certificate in Archives and Records
Management.
Full-time and part-time. MA and Diploma
accredited by SoA.
MA / Diploma / Certificate in Archives and Records
Management (International programme).
Full-time and part-time. MA and Diploma
accredited by SoA.
Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne
MSc Records Management.
Distance learning. SoA accredited.
Contact: John Bowman
Tel: 020 7679 2000
E-mail: j.bowman@ucl.ac.uk
www.ucl.ac.uk/slais
Tel: 0191 227 4917
E-mail: il.admin@northumbria.ac.uk
www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/academic
/ceis/subs/?view=Standard
Occupational map for the LAIS workforce – ver 6: 4 Dec 06
Page 6
Annex E
Bibliography and sources of further information
Outcomes from the initial consultation events on new standards, new qualifications and new
skills. LLUK, 2006.
RANKIN, F. The SVQ awards in archives services and records services: current position
and future potential – a report to isNTO. South Lanarkshire Council / University of Glasgow,
2001.
SKELTON, A. & ABELL, A. Scenarios for the knowledge economy: strategic information
skills. TFPL, 2001.
Skills foresight in Scottish libraries. isNTO, 2003.
Skills foresight in the information services sector 2003 – 2009. isNTO, 2003.
Skills foresight in libraries and learning resource centres in schools, sixth form colleges and
colleges of further education. isNTO, 2004
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