Upskilling for Library Workers

Many of today's libraries and their workers are facing a skills crisis. By some estimates, an employee's current skills are only relevant for a maximum of five years, but other estimates put the longevity of current skills at only 18 months. Though it's crucial that library workers continuously upskill and reskill to keep up with technological changes, including those brought about by AI, libraries have limited time, budgets, and resources to devote to helping staff keep up. But as Ann Medaille demonstrates in Upskilling for Library Workers: A Guide for Future-Ready Professionals (ALA Editions, 2026, which draws on lessons learned from a three-year research project, it's still possible to adopt an inspiring, forward-thinking approach to upskilling, one that positions staff to succeed both now and in the future. Library administrators, managers, trainers, program leaders, branch heads, and staff members who work in public or academic libraries and are involved in learning or teaching new skills, or creating a skills strategy for their library, will discover why upskilling and reskilling are urgently needed by library workers to navigate information in the context of ever-changing technologies, and which skills are the most important; lessons that libraries can learn from the innovative approaches to workplace upskilling that are taking place in the corporate learning and development space; an incisive overview and analysis of learning initiatives currently underway at academic and public libraries in the United States and Canada; key concepts related to learning and instructional design; the four E's of upskilling (education, experiences, exposures, and environment) and where they fit into library workplace training and development; research-based guidance on facing such challenges as how to get started, knowing what skills to plan for in the future, deciding upon appropriate learning initiatives, motivating staff to continually learn, evaluating skill development initiatives, and confronting issues related to cost, time, and organizational culture; and hands-on strategies for the integration of upskilling into library work across a broad range of skill types and library applications, including suggested activities, reflection points, examples, and tips throughout the book.

Guest: Ann Medaille is Professor/Director of Research and Instructional Services at the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries. She is also Editor-in-Chief for the journal Evidence Based Library and Information Practice and a faculty member of the Medical Library Association’s Research Training Institute. She holds a PhD in education and an MS in library science. She is the author of The Librarian's Guide to Learning Theory: Practical Applications in Library Settings. She is also co-author of Visual Literacy for Libraries: A Practical, Standards-Based Guide.

Host: Dr. Michael LaMagna is a Professor of Library Services and served for ten years as the Information Literacy Program and Library Services Coordinator at Delaware County Community College.