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John Crosby
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SLA Partnership Wins Grant to Study Future of Info Pros
U.S. Government Awards Nearly $1 Million to Conduct Research

Alexandria, Virginia, USA, September 23, 2004 – A partnership of organizations led by the University of North Carolina and including Syracuse University and the Special Libraries Association has been awarded $994,369 by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to conduct a research study on the future of librarians in the workforce. The two-year effort will:

• identify the nature of anticipated labor shortages in the library and information science (LIS) field over the next decade;
• assess the number and types of library and information science jobs that will become available either through retirement or new job creation;
• determine the required skills to fill such vacancies;
• and recommend effective approaches to recruiting and retaining workers to fill them.

The resulting project reports will include:

• The Current LIS Workforce;
• Outlook for the LIS Workforce: 2006-2016;
• Outlook and Opportunities for LIS Education: 2006-2016;
• Why Libraries? The Importance and Value of Libraries;
• Information Professionals: Survey of an Evolving Field.

SLA Executive Director Janice R. Lachance was ecstatic to hear about the grant award. “The moment I heard about the availability of the grant, I knew it was a great opportunity for SLA to have a hands-on role in preparing information professionals for the future by studying what their future will look like. To be able to partner with two great institutions like the University of North Carolina and Syracuse University just makes this an even better situation for us and for the global community of information professionals.”

The research partnership also includes the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIST).

SLA will be involved in the data collection activities of the various surveys planned for this two year project; analysis and development of the skill/competency requirements; and will be heavily involved in the dissemination of the study’s findings. This will include disseminating in progress and summary reports through the most effective means, such as annual conferences, articles, publications, virtual seminars, and the SLA Web site.

About SLA
The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is a nonprofit global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. SLA serves more than 12,000 members in 83 countries who work in corporate, academic and government organizations. SLA promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives. For more information, visit SLA online at www.sla.org.