Welcome to the Skills Audit of Victorian Public Library Sector 2019. This research work will provide fascinating insights into the changing skills focus in public libraries, help library staff value the range of skillsets they already have and support the planning of professional development opportunities that can be tailored to specific library contexts.

While you are invited to complete the Individual survey as a practicing library and information professional, you are also asked to the complete Managers' survey. In this survey, you are asked to consider the skills needed across your library service today and into the future. A comparison of these two lenses, Individual and Manager, will permit the gap analysis between the skills you envisage your library will require to deliver high quality services and programs in the future, and the current skillsets of the library staff.

The initial Skills Audit, Victorian Public Libraries: Our Future, Our Skills was completed in 2013. As the questions in the 2019 Skills Audit directly replicate the 2013 questions, we will be able to undertake the comparative analysis between the 2013 and 2019 data. Each question relates to a skillset included in the Our Future, Our Skills: Skills Framework.

The value and impact of this study depend on the number of responses and the quality of the data we collect. We hope you will encourage your staff to participate!

Anonymity and confidentiality

At the beginning of the Individual survey, respondents will be asked a few demographic questions. When respondents enter their name and email address to verify their employment, the information will be translated into a code to ensure their anonymity as a respondent and the confidentiality of their data. In the analysis, interpretation and reporting of the data we collect in the Skills Audit, none of the data can be linked back to anyone’s personal details.

The demographic data that is collected about the respondents’ age, education and employment will help us better understand the public library sector for workforce planning and advocacy purposes.

Help and support

If you need any support during the Skills Audit, please look here for assistance or send a message using the contact form.