Canberra, 29 January 2020: The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has published its sixth annual ALIA LIS Education, Skills and Employment Trend Report. The 2019 edition reveals a 10-year decline in the number of institutions accredited by ALIA, from 31 in 2010 to 23 in 2020 (predicted), and in the number of LIS courses offered, down from 50 in 2010 to 34 in 2020 (predicted).
ALIA CEO Sue McKerracher said, ‘There is no doubt LIS education is under pressure and needs a coordinated response from across the sector to ensure its sustainability. ALIA will be hosting an education summit in May 2020 for LIS employers, educators, students and researchers to debate future scenarios that will benefit all parties.’
Other findings from the 2019 Trend Report:
• The unemployment level for Librarians is below average when compared with other occupations, and the top two states in terms of the number of job opportunities continued to be NSW and Victoria.
• The projected employment growth for the five years to May 2024 for Librarians is 1.9%, however there is a projected decline of 3.4% for Library Technicians and 10.5% for Library Assistants.
• Part-time work remains a significant characteristic in our workforce with the approximately 71% of Library Assistants working part-time, 55% of Library Technicians and 39% of Librarians.
• The number of females employed as Librarians, Library Technicians and Library Assistants is more than 80% for each group.
Read the full report.
About the Australian Library and Information Association
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) is the professional organisation for the Australian library and information services sector.
With 5,000 members across Australia, we provide the national voice of the profession in the development, promotion and delivery of quality library and information services, through leadership, advocacy and mutual support. www.alia.org.au