This comprehensive report provides an in-depth look at staffing levels, hiring expectations, recruitment challenges, outsourcing practices, and the evolving roles within cataloging and metadata departments across libraries.
The report is based on extensive survey data from a diverse range of institutions, offering actionable insights for library leaders, HR professionals, and policymakers. Readers will find detailed breakdowns by institution size, sector, tuition band, staff age, gender, and work function.
Five Key Findings from the Report
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Severe Understaffing is Widespread: Over 70% of metadata departments report being below adequate staffing levels, with the problem most acute in large institutions and public libraries1.
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Minimal Growth in Staffing: The past two years have seen little net gain in staff, with only isolated expansion at select private or research institutions. Most libraries report unchanged or reduced staffing1.
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Recruitment Difficulty is High: 44% of respondents find recruitment difficult, citing budget constraints and limited institutional prioritization as the main barriers—not a lack of qualified candidates1.
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Future Hiring Focuses on New Roles: The most anticipated hires are metadata specialists (44%), linked data/BIBFRAME experts (40%), digital catalogers (28%), and AI experts (26%), reflecting the field’s shift toward digital and data-driven expertise1.
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Outsourcing Remains Limited: Two-thirds of libraries perform cataloging and metadata work in-house, with outsourcing expected to remain stable over the next two years