Presented at Internet Library International 2019. What skills will library and information professionals need in the future? This presentation posits that information professionals do already have the skills they just need to be better at marketing and selling them to their organisations.

1. The futureproof
librarian
Denise Carter MSc MCLIP
Internet Librarian International,
Olympia, London
16 October 2019
Will they look
like this? Or do
they look like
you?

2. October 2019 The futureproof librarian 2
The data lifecycle is no longer clear and
distinct but interconnected and
interdependent with open networks of
data
Data governance and data management
is becoming increasingly complex
The Opportunity

3. October 2019 The futureproof librarian 3
Future
Skills
McKinsey Global Institute predict 3skill sets
workers will need by 2030
1. Higher cognitive skills
 Advanced literacy and writing
 Quantitative and statistical skills
 Critical thinking and decision
making
 Project management
 Complex information processing
and interpretation
 Creativity

4. October 2019 The futureproof librarian 4
2. Social and emotional skills
 Advanced communication and negotiation
skills
 Interpersonal skills and empathy
 Leadership and managing others
 Entrepreneurship and initiative-taking
 Adaptability and continuous learning
 Teaching and training others3. Technological skills
 Basic digital skills
 Advanced IT skills and programming
 Advanced data analysis
 Mathematical skills
 Technological design, engineering, and
maintenance
 Scientific research and development
Future
Skills

5. October 2019 The futureproof librarian 5
Information Professionals DO have the right
skills NOW to capitalise on the opportunities
new technologies and new innovations will
offer.
We ARE well-placed to help our own
organisations and society by providing
guidance and knowledge (and wisdom) on
data governance, data quality,
information literacy, and ethics.

6. October 2019 The futureproof librarian 6
Today’s Information Professional already has
3 essential futureproofed skills that
we use daily
 Curiosity
 Ability to ask the right questions
 Strong ethics Current
Skills

7. October 2019 The futureproof librarian 7
BUT as a profession we need to be
better at defining and claiming
our hard skills.
(And turning some soft skills into hard
skills).
Current
Skills
The reference interview
Research, Analysis & Synthesis
Customer service
Vendor management & contract negotiation
Etc., etc.

8. October 2019 The futureproof librarian 8
What information professionals must
demonstrate (even if it doesn’t come naturally)
 A strong voice – make ourselves heard
 Our capacity to challenge – question
rather than accept
 That we should be expensive – what you
do has value
 The ability to think big picture and
globally Expand
Skills

9. October 2019 The futureproof librarian 9
New roles won’t come to us – now is not the time to be
passive but to push ourselves forward and let the world know
what we can do!
New
Roles
There is a gap in the market
Organisations do have the ability to use
data and technology and get results
without us.
But we must be clear that for
organisations to demonstrate excellence
they need to exploit the hard and soft
skills of the information professional.

10. October 2019 The futureproof librarian 10
Thank you
Denise Carter, Managing Director, DCision Consult
Competitive Intelligence & Information Management for Biopharmaceutical Companies
Registered office: Rue Maurice Braillard 20, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
denise.carter@dcisionconsult.com
www.dcisionconsult.com
@dcisionconsult