Abstract
Hiring and Staffing Trends in ARL Libraries
Highlights
Hiring decisions are palpable expressions of our evolving values, and in 2015 ARL’s demographic data series reflected a profession in a state of flux unlike any since the data series began in 1986.1 In some cases, change is consistent with longstanding trends, but some changes in the ARL data are recent, surprising, even counterintuitive
Professionals certainly play an outsized role in designing and delivering library services, but they accounted for only 39% of the ARL library workforce in 2015
While the ARL data has the number of professionals increasing, the Current Population Survey (CPS) data has it declining precipitously. Another significant difference between the two sets is that professionals outnumber support staff by at least four to one in the CPS data
Summary
Looking forward, the combination of high numbers of individuals aged 65+, the low likelihood that they will work past 70, and the strong tendency on the part of libraries to fill professional vacancies means that the 2015–2020 period is almost certain to require more hiring than any time since 1985. This is a great time to be looking for a job in an ARL library
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