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This report was the result of an action item which was generated by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Future of the Profession project. ALIA Members wanted the Association to map and monitor the library and information science (LIS) workforce to identify the ebb and flow of job openings for new entrants. This is the first year this report has been published and the aim is to produce it yearly. The 2014 report concludes that there is a positive outlook on employment prospects for library and information professionals over the next five years, but the job market will remain tight. However, there will be openings as baby boomer workers retire and these existing positions are filled. As the majority of library and information services are local, state, territory or federal government funded, they will be subject to the effects of government budget cuts. While there is some despondency in the sector about job prospects, figures from government and other sources suggest that this pessimism may be misplaced and the reality may be better than anticipated.

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Australian Academic and Research Libraries (AARL) is a quarterly journal focusing on all aspects of librarianship in university and college libraries, including the technical and further education (TAFE) sector, and in research libraries of all types. It publishes original, peer refereed contributions on all aspects of librarianship past and present, pure and applied bibliography, publishing, information science and related subjects. AARL also reviews publications in these areas. Show less

This is the fifth annual ALIA LIS Education, Skills and Employment Trend Report. [The] intention is to provide students, educators, employees and employers with an understanding of the national library and information science (LIS) landscape, and the Association with the data we need to help inform our work as the sector's peak professional body. This 2018 report updates some of the statistics in the previous editions, using the latest figures from the Commonwealth Departments of Education and Jobs and Small Business. In some sections we have included data for Gallery and Museum Technicians, Archivists, Curators and Records Managers.

The 2018 report again notes that there will be modest growth in the number of qualified librarian positions over the next five years. In 2018 there were 10 higher education institutions offering 23 ALIA accredited courses, including Masters degrees, Bachelor degrees, and Graduate Diplomas. There were two universities, 14 TAFEs and one private RTO offering 17 ALIA accredited Diploma of Library and Information Services courses, making a total of 27 accredited institutions and 40 accredited courses. The number of LIS students enrolled in ALIA accredited higher education courses has dipped below 900 EFTSL (equivalent full-time student load) for the first time since 2011, and for VET students the figure has fallen below 600 FYTE (full year training equivalent) students. Are we producing enough graduates to meet demand? At this stage it would appear so, given employment demand and unemployment levels.

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This technology awareness seminar for librarians and educators was sponsored by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) groups Academic, Research and Collection Management (ARCoM), InfoSci (South Australia) and Reference and Information Services (RAIS) (South Australia). The seminar's theme was 'Online learning explored' and it featured presentations from school, postsecondary and tertiary sectors and included a trade and 'learning objects' showcase. The program examined issues associated with libraries supporting online learning and future directions for online learning in education, training and libraries. The following presentations are available on the website in summarised form: The learning transformation / Ian Reid; The promise of on-line learning - can the reality match the rhetoric? / Olivia Clarke; Why is online learning important in the Department of Education and Children's Services?: what is being done? / Kathryn Moyle; The importance of online TAFE SA / Elisabeth Pohl; Flexible learning and the uses of ICTs to support learning at Flinders University / David Green; En-route online tutorial generator: Flinders University Library / Miranda Morfey; Does eLearning pass the taste test?: the state of online learning in Australia / Chris Sutton; Where to next?: what is the future of online learning in education/training and libraries? / Irene Doskatsch; Where to next?: the future of online learning / Chris Sutton. Show less

This brief article outlines how the State Library of Tasmania plays an important role in providing literacy support services. A few programs are described, including the library's participation in the Adult Literacy Taskforce. Show less

This report was the result of an action item which was generated by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Future of the Profession project. ALIA Members wanted the Association to map and monitor the library and information science (LIS) workforce to identify the ebb and flow of job openings for new entrants. The report concludes that baby boomer retirees from the LIS sector are creating the job opportunities for graduates and other entrants to the LIS job market. Educators are in a challenging period, but this is not restricted to the LIS sector. Data shows that more employers are recruiting candidates without LIS qualification to provide frontline services. ALIA's aim is to encourage non-LIS professionals employed in the sector to study for LIS qualifications or at least gain a better understanding of the library environment by joining ALIA's proficiency recognition program. LIS workers had significantly higher educational qualifications compared with people employed in all occupations in Australia.

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In November 2019, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) published 'The future of LIS education issues paper' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 141.589] to inform a sector-wide discussion about the current state of professional education: the needs going forward, and the challenges faced in trying to identify and deliver the best outcome. Following the publication of the issues paper, ALIA carried out a survey of members, which elicited 352 responses from students, professionals, educators and employers. ALIA sought submissions and feedback from important stakeholder groups including National and State Libraries Australia, heads of capital city public libraries, Library Technician educators, and university library senior teams. This activity was to have led to an industry Education Summit, which was delayed by the coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic. This paper provides a summary of the themes which emerged during the consultation with the sector at the start of the year which has enabled work to start on three possible future scenarios. The aim is to present the scenarios to participants at the LIS Education Summit, which has been rescheduled to coincide with ALIA Information Online 2021, in February 2021.

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This report details the current status of diversity across the galleries, libraries, archives, museums and records (GLAMR) workforce. The report has been created using data collected from the 2006, 2011, and 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census datasets and made available through the ABS Census TableBuilder. The report has identified five issues for the library and information sector to rectify in order to have a representational workforce: (1) Encourage people to consider library and information as both a first and second career; (2) Find ways to significantly increase the number of male library and information workers; (3) Aim to double the number of Indigenous workers; (4) Continue to open up career opportunities for people living with disability; and (5) Seek to recruit people born in Asia and/or from languages other than English households with Asian first languages.

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The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) currently works with [library and information science] LIS educators to shape quality contemporary courses in library and information science, and offers a range of professional development opportunities. ALIA is investigating the issues with which LIS educators, employers and students are currently grappling to define the future of LIS education. This initiative is being approached from the perspective of 'what does good look like' and comparing this vision with current circumstances to identify ways to move from that position to an ideal one by 2025.

This issues paper represents the first stage of this project. It is based on conversations with educators, sector focus groups, and discussions with employers and other stakeholders. The themes identified are: (1) pathways to becoming a library and information professional; (2) suitability of LIS education; and (3) employer engagement. From these themes, the paper then identifies 10 desirable characteristics for a LIS sector with a strong professional status. This paper was followed by a survey of the sector to gain further insight into the issues (November 2019-February 2020). Stage three comprised scenario exploration sessions with educators and employers (November 2019-April 2020). This work was to have been followed by an ALIA Education Summit, the publication of a draft LIS education strategy and action plan. This work has now been delayed due to the coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic.

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The Australian Library and Information Association's (ALIA's) Framework of Skills, Knowledge and Ethics for the Library and Information Services Workforce is the central component of the Professional Pathways project led by ALIA in collaboration with library and information service sectors across Australia. The framework is a resource that distils and presents the skills, knowledge and ethics needed to work effectively in the Library and Information Services (LIS) sector and to provide high-quality services to library communities.

Comprising three domains: core domains, professional knowledge domains and active professionalism, it is designed to be used at all levels and across different roles in the sector. Each of the domains has a more detailed breakdown, which may be further tailored to roles or sectors. As an Australian-based framework it was important to ensure that the Framework reflects accurately the skills, knowledge and ethics required for work with First Nations collections and communities. To this end, the Framework has two dedicated First Nations Domains developed in close consultation with the ALIA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Expert Advisory Group. The framework can be used by individuals working in LIS at all levels and at the organisational level.

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