Over the past few years, the library and information services (LIS) sector in Australia has become increasingly aware that people are indeed the key drivers in the profession and that a strong future will depend on ensuring that recruitment, retention and professional development issues are clearly understood and managed. The paper discusses Stage 2 of the neXus research project which aims to develop our understanding of the LIS workforce.

While neXus Stage 1 investigated into the current LIS workforce at the individual level, with the findings discussed widely across the industry, neXus Stage 2 reviews and analyses workforce issues and practices at the institutional level. The project involves a survey of the policies and practices currently in place in individual institutions, focusing on the recruitment and retention of professional and paraprofessional staff, succession planning, and staff development activities. The data collection phase was undertaken in March-April 2008, with a good response from a range of libraries that represent the diversity of employers, public, academic, TAFE, school and special libraries, in both metropolitan and regional areas.

The research allows us to begin to build a real picture of workforce practices in Australian libraries. The paper itself presents the initial findings from the study and seeks to identify areas of good practice that can help the industry successfully establish a sustainable future. The project has been funded by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the consortium of National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA).