Technology from Sage, a suite of library technologies that improve your patrons’ workflow, has released its third Librarian Futures report exploring the current librarian skills landscape and identifying areas for further development. 

The report, developed with the input of over 2,000 global academic library professionals, examines the emerging skills required to fulfill a library’s mission and meet the needs of today’s library patrons. The data was analyzed by Skilltype, in which Technology from Sage invested earlier this year. 

Key findings from the report: 

• Librarians have a great deal of confidence in their ability to serve patrons, but less than half agreed that they feel confident in advancing their career. 
• Many librarians (37%) feel unprepared to answer patron questions on the use of generative AI in their studies. 
• Less than 20% of librarians feel that their effort to learn new skills is appreciated by students. 
• 46% of librarians feel that there is not sufficient budget available for upskilling, and 47% don’t feel there is sufficient time. 

“Technology from Sage is proud to be a strategic investor in Skilltype, supporting their mission of building librarian skills for the future,” said Matthew Hayes, managing director of Technology from Sage. “I’m delighted that we could collaborate with Skilltype on this important report on librarian futures, helping Tony and his team share their unique insights on librarian skills – both where we are now, and what’s needed in the coming years.” 

Tony Zanders, Skilltype founder and CEO, said, “Our aim with this collaboration is for information professionals and their teams to gain new perspectives on the competencies they should be cultivating within their personal repertoires and their organizations.  

“Librarians and the new skills, competencies, and responsibilities they will develop in the years ahead are going to be pivotal to this. But it all starts with increased dialog, understanding where we are and where we want to go,” he continued. “I hope this report contributes to that dialog and inspires conversations in your library, amongst your peers, and within the wider library community.” 

Access the full report HERE.  

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