Recruit, Retain and Lead: The Public Library Workforce Study

The data from the research suggest that an effective workforce does not depend on any one factor in isolation. People are attracted to the public library service because the work is seen as having a public service ethos and providing opportunities to work with the public and communities. However the overall picture is that the negative image of the profession has some basis in reality. The research confirmed the view that there is a link between retention and training, and that success in retaining high quality staff derives from a combination of the qualities of the job itself, and a structured approach to training. The development of staff will not be achieved without the development of managers at every level. Issues of succession planning and career leadership development were seen as particularly important areas but relatively few authorities have begun to address these matters. The indications are that the public library service may not only have to identify and cultivate its future leaders but may also need to modify the organisational culture in which they operate. Individual librarians, individual library services, academic institutions and library authorities need to look beyond what is sufficient for their own organizations, and consider what is necessary for the profession and its users as a whole. In reviewing, and reflecting on the data, the research team makes a number of recommendations. This is not a simple list of skills and aptitudes. Rather their suggestions are concerned with what is required if the public library service is to recruit and retain people with the necessary potential, skills and abilities to lead the profession in the twenty-first century.