University libraries throughout the world are engaged in staff development but benchmarking of these activities is not widespread. Several studies have examined staff development policy and practice in this sector including comparisons of and practice internationally. In January 2008, two university library consortia - CAVAL (Australia) and EMALINK (UK) - commenced a joint project to further develop this process of comparison by benchmarking best practice in staff development in the consortia member libraries. Projected for completion in late 2008, this project acknowledges that changes in technology, learning and society are impacting on library services; leading in turn to the need for new roles, skills and approaches to library human resources management and development. Data obtained in this benchmarking study will enable individual consortia member libraries to develop indicators with which to compare their staff development practices with others at national and international levels; and to develop more effective future staff development activities. The study methodology will also demonstrate how international collaborative library research projects have become much more feasible with developments in ICT, particularly social networking technology. This paper and conference presentation will: outline the drivers for benchmarking in library staff development; discuss why applied research and benchmarking of this kind is potentially valuable to university and other libraries in the context of workforce planning and generational change; report on the research methodology employed in the project; and, report on progress to date in developing and applying benchmarks in the consortia member libraries.