WP3.2 Results -Rethinking the Future of Librarianship: Needs Analysis of the Byblios Project
The European project Byblios aims to promote the inclusion and employability of people with cognitive disabilities through the redefinition of libraries as inclusive and innovative community hubs. Within this framework, Activity 3.2 – Needs Analysis, part of Work Package 3 (WP3), investigated the future skill needs of librarians and related staff in light of social, technological, and educational transformations. The study engaged 48 professionals across five European countries — Italy, Portugal, Germany, Romania, and Spain — and identified key areas for professional development, digital transformation, and pedagogical innovation. The findings informed the design of methodological guidelines and pedagogical models for the librarians of the future.
Libraries are at the crossroads of rapid social and technological change. Beyond their traditional role as repositories of information, they are increasingly recognized as inclusive learning ecosystems that foster social participation, digital literacy, and community engagement.
In this context, Activity 3.2 – Needs Analysis aimed to:
Analyze the future skill needs of librarians and related professionals.
Redefine the librarian’s role in inclusive, digital, and socially engaged contexts.
Identify new pedagogical models and training pathways to support professional growth.
The activity builds on the outcomes of Activity 3.1 – Participatory Action Research, deepening the understanding of the evolving professional identity of librarians in Europe.
Methodology
The project adopts an integrated methodological approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods through a strategy of methodological triangulation. This approach aims to provide a comprehensive and multidimensional understanding of the political, social, relational, and economic implications linked to the evolving role of libraries and the training needs of their staff across different European contexts. From a qualitative standpoint, the project foresees the organization and facilitation of in-depth thematic focus groups. In parallel, a quantitative strategy was implemented through the development and administration of two structured online questionnaires — one addressed to stakeholders and one to librarians. These tools helped us to collect large-scale, comparable data on perceptions, competencies, training needs, and aspirations related to the professional development of library staff.
The quantitative approach involved:
119 librarians from public, school, and community libraries.
47 stakeholders, including educators, social service representatives, policymakers, and NGOs.
Data collection took place between March and June 2024 in Italy, Portugal, Germany, Romania, and Spain.
The stakeholder questionnaire was designed to gather insights from institutional and organizational actors who collaborate with or influence the work of libraries. It focused on the following thematic areas:
Role Evolution: Perceptions of how libraries are responding to changing community dynamics, digital transformation, and social inclusion.
Training Needs: Identification of essential skills required by library staff, with emphasis on digital literacy, accessibility, and user engagement.
Mentoring Capacity: Assessment of the relevance of mentoring as a tool for professional and personal growth within library settings.
Inclusive Mentorship: Reflections on the potential of mentoring programs to include people with disabilities and to foster inclusive workplace cultures.
The librarian questionnaire addressed library professionals directly and was structured to capture their perspectives, experiences, and expectations. Key dimensions included:
Evolution of Professional Roles: Self-assessment of how their work has changed in relation to technological, social, and organizational shifts.
Digital Skills: Evaluation of their digital competencies and confidence in applying them in daily tasks.
Specific Digital Skill Areas: Including information and data literacy, digital communication and collaboration, content creation, cybersecurity awareness, and problem-solving in digital environments.
Mentoring and Support Roles: Interest in becoming mentors and perceived readiness to support colleagues and trainees, particularly from diverse backgrounds.
Inclusion and Disability: Attitudes toward mentoring individuals with disabilities and perceived benefits of an inclusive workforce.
Stakeholders’ Results
The analysis of stakeholder questionnaires highlights the perspectives of local administrators, policy-makers, educators, and other institutional actors on the evolving role of European libraries. Overall, stakeholders perceive libraries as increasingly dynamic, community-centered, and digitally capable, with 61.7% reporting significant to profound transformations in their role. Nonetheless, some caution remains, with a minority noting minimal or no change, reflecting structural, political, or resource-related constraints.
Stakeholders recognize that librarians generally possess solid digital skills, with the majority rated as competent to very good, although there remains a need for ongoing professional development to keep pace with emerging technologies.
Mentoring skills, particularly the capacity to support trainees including those with disabilities, are seen as promising but underdeveloped; both librarians and stakeholders acknowledge gaps in structured training, confidence, and organizational support.
Country-level variations are notable, with Portugal and Spain showing full awareness of inclusive mentorship potential, while Italy, Germany and Romania indicate room for increased attention and advocacy.
The stakeholder data emphasize the importance of context-sensitive strategies, investment in staff training, inclusive mentoring programs, and inter-institutional collaboration to ensure that libraries can fully embrace their role as innovative, inclusive, and socially embedded hubs.
Librarians’ Results
The European survey of librarians from Italy, Spain, Romania, Portugal, and Germany highlights a profession in transformation.
A majority of respondents (68%) perceive libraries as evolving significantly, with 27.7% saying “evolving a lot” and 18.5% “completely evolving,” reflecting a shared view of libraries as dynamic, community-focused, and digitally engaged institutions. Only a small minority (less than 8%) perceive little or no change.
Regarding mentoring, 79.8% of librarians have considered the possibility of mentoring new trainees, including those with disabilities, indicating a strong professional openness to inclusion. Self-assessed confidence in mentoring was moderate, with a median score of 5 on a 1–7 scale, suggesting that most feel reasonably prepared but that there is room to strengthen skills, particularly for those at the lower end of the scale.
European librarians increasingly see their role as extending beyond traditional library functions toward supporting career development and lifelong learning. Libraries are perceived as key spaces for education, skills acquisition, and professional growth. A majority of respondents recognize that libraries actively contribute to learning throughout life, offering programs, resources, and mentoring opportunities that support both personal and professional development.
Key Competence areas
Across all countries, the analysis highlights four key competence areas for the future of librarians and library staff.
Digital Transformation and Technological Adaptability – Staff need to master emerging technologies, digital tools, and innovative platforms to support users, enhance services, and ensure libraries remain agile in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Pedagogical and Mentoring Skills – Librarians are increasingly expected to guide, train, and mentor new staff and users, including people with disabilities, fostering inclusive learning and professional development.
Social Inclusion and Community Mediation – Libraries must serve as accessible, community-centered spaces, mediating social engagement, cultural participation, and equitable access to information for diverse audiences.
Career Development and Lifelong Learning – Libraries act as hubs for personal and professional growth, supporting lifelong learning, skill acquisition, employability, and continuous education for all community members.
These four areas collectively define a modern, future-ready vision of library professionals as adaptable, inclusive, and educationally oriented agents of community development.
Country-Specific Insights
Italy
In Italy, the survey showed a strong educational orientation, with 35% teachers and 20% school librarians, together representing 55% of respondents. University librarians and “Other” roles each accounted for 15%, while public librarians were 10%
Most librarians perceive the role of libraries as moderately evolving with gradual changes in services and digital integration. Following this lead, digital skills are considered essential: in fact, 70% prioritized training in digital tools, while self-assessed competence is moderately high, with a median confidence of 5 (1 to 7 scale).
Focusing on mentoring, the Italian survey highlights that librarians strongly recognize its importance but feel only moderately confident in their abilities. 75% of respondents rated mentoring as very important or important, signaling that guiding, supporting, and inspiring others—particularly students, users, or new staff—is increasingly seen as a core part of their professional role. However, when asked about self-confidence, the median score was 5 on a 1–7 scale, with most responses falling between 4 and 6. This indicates that while librarians feel reasonably prepared, few feel fully equipped to mentor effectively, and none rated themselves at the highest confidence level.
Mentoring is also framed in an inclusive perspective: 85% of librarians expressed willingness to mentor trainees with disabilities, reflecting both ethical commitment and practical readiness to foster inclusion. Open-ended responses emphasized that mentoring supports skill development, autonomy, self-confidence, and social integration for mentees. Librarians noted that inclusive mentoring encourages the library environment to become more accessible, supportive, and socially engaged, benefiting both staff and users.
Portugal
An analysis of the respondents to the questionnaire in Portugal shows a predominance of public librarians (15 respondents, 44.1%), followed by school librarians (11 respondents, 32.4%) and technical/operational assistants (8 respondents, 23.5%).
Participants perceived a significant evolution in the role of libraries, with 44.1% believing that libraries are "evolving a lot" and 26.5% considering them "completely evolved," for a total of more than 70%. Training needs reflect this evolution: 76.5% indicated training in digital tools as a priority, 55.9% in information literacy, and 52.9% in program development, while 32.4% and 35.3% considered tutoring/mentoring and customer service skills important, respectively.
The questionnaire analysis reveals that Portuguese librarians perceive mentoring as a central component of their professional role. 52.9% of respondents considered it "very important" and 44.1% "important", confirming the widespread importance of this function. When asked whether librarians could mentor new colleagues, including those with disabilities, 85.3% responded positively, demonstrating a strong openness to inclusive mentoring practices, while only 14.7% expressed doubts or uncertainty.
Librarians' confidence in their own mentoring abilities is generally moderate-high: 70% rate it between 5 and 6 on a scale of 1 to 7 and only 8.8% report lower levels of confidence (2 or 3). These data highlight that, although mentoring is considered essential, many professionals recognize the need for additional training or support to increase their effectiveness. Participants also emphasized that inclusive mentoring fosters not only the development of practical and interpersonal skills in new librarians, but also the autonomy, confidence, and social integration of colleagues with disabilities, while strengthening the library's inclusive culture and ability to respond to the diverse needs of the community.
Germany
In Germany, the majority of participants are public librarians (about 77%), followed by university librarians (18%) and school librarians (5%). Perceptions of the evolving role of libraries are generally positive: over 70% believe that libraries are changing significantly or profoundly, while a minority perceive only limited or moderate evolution.
Regarding training, digital skills are considered a priority, with nearly 95% of participants reporting the importance of digital tools and resources. This is followed by the ability to support users in information management (information literacy, 62%), customer service (59%), and tutoring/mentoring skills (59%). Program development receives greater attention from a third of participants, while some cite additional needs for inclusion, diversity, and institutional communication.
German librarians generally show good confidence in their digital skills (scale 1 to 7): approximately 70% place themselves in the middle range of the self-assessment scale (4-5), with 15% feeling above average and only a minority reporting low confidence. The focus is on essential skills such as information management, digital communication, security, and problem solving, while digital content creation is perceived as less central.
Mentoring is considered important by over 84% of participants, although their confidence in their own abilities varies: approximately half feel fairly confident, while a third express a high level of confidence. Furthermore, 87% of librarians have considered mentoring trainees with disabilities, indicating an openness to inclusive practices.
Open-ended responses show strong recognition of the value of including people with disabilities in libraries. Among the benefits reported are personal growth, autonomy, social integration, positive human relationships, security, and job stability. Librarians perceive libraries as accessible, collaborative, and stimulating environments, offering opportunities for development and active participation.
Romania
In Romania, 70% of participants are school librarians, while 30% work in public libraries. When asked about the evolution of the role of libraries in the community, opinions were quite polarized. 30 % believed that the role of libraries was "evolving slightly" (value 3), another 30% believed it was "evolving a lot" (value 6), while 20% considered them "completely evolved" (value 7). The lowest positions, corresponding to "not evolving at all" (value 1) and "evolving very little" (value 2), were chosen by 5% each, and 10% selected "evolving quite a bit" (value 5).
Regarding training, a clear focus on digital skills emerges: 75% of librarians identify digital tools and resources as their top priority, followed by 45% who cite program development, 35% who cite customer service skills, and 30% who emphasize the importance of tutoring and mentoring skills. Twenty-five percent consider information literacy skills essential, while 5% cite other training areas. Self-assessment of digital skills paints an overall positive picture: 40% place themselves at the highest level of confidence, 30% at level 6, and 10% at level 5, while only 20% rate themselves at intermediate levels (3 or 4). No one considers themselves to be slightly or not at all competent.
Mentoring is perceived as an essential aspect of the profession: 90% of librarians consider it "very important" and the remaining 10% "fairly important." Confidence in their own tutoring skills is good but varied: 35% rate themselves at a 5 out of 7, 20% rate themselves at a 6, and another 20% at the maximum level of 7; 20% rate themselves at a 4, and only 5% rate themselves at a 3. Overall, 75% of participants exhibit a medium-high level of confidence, but there remains room for improvement based on experience and specific training.
When asked whether they had ever considered the possibility of librarians serving as tutors for new trainees with disabilities, responses were clearly divided: 50% answered "yes" and 50% "no." This highlights the need to promote greater awareness and training on inclusive practices, so that the potential role of librarians as mentors also extends to people with disabilities.
Open-ended responses on the opportunities and benefits of including people with disabilities in libraries outline a predominantly positive outlook. Several participants emphasized that the presence of people with disabilities could improve accessibility and encourage other users with similar experiences to frequent the library. Some responses, however, raised concerns about practical management or available resources, indicating the need for structural support.
Regarding the benefits for people with disabilities themselves, an inclusive and optimistic view prevails: librarians believe that working in a library can foster social integration, personal development, skill acquisition, and autonomy. The library is seen as a place of learning and growth, capable of offering concrete opportunities for participation and building self-esteem.
Spain
From Spain, the majority of respondents (66.67%) work as university librarians, while the remaining 33.33% work in fields related to pedagogy and education.
Regarding the evolution of the role of libraries in the community, the opinions gathered outline a strongly positive and dynamic vision. No participant indicated the lowest values on the scale (1–3), and a third of the sample (33.33%) believe that the role of libraries is evolving profoundly, while another 33.33% perceive a moderate but significant evolution. The remainder are divided between those who describe a "considerable" or "substantial" evolution (16.67% for each category). Overall, Spanish librarians view their institutions as undergoing a transformation, capable of redefining their identity and mission in response to new social, educational, and technological challenges.
When it comes to digital skills, participants showed a moderate level of confidence. Most spanish respondents (about 67%) rated themselves around the middle of the scale (levels 4–5), while a few placed themselves higher or slightly lower. Training needs focused mainly on digital tools and resources (around two thirds of respondents), followed by information literacy and program development. No one mentioned customer service or mentoring as priorities. Overall, respondents viewed digital competence as a key and multifaceted aspect of their professional role—combining information management, online collaboration, safety, and problem-solving skills.
All respondents also stated that they had considered the possibility of librarians acting as mentors for people with cognitive disabilities, demonstrating a widespread sensitivity to inclusion. When asked to reflect on the benefits of including people with disabilities in libraries, participants highlighted four recurring themes:
Inclusion and equal opportunities, with the library seen as a model of social justice and diversity.
Enrichment of the work environment, thanks to qualities such as empathy, creativity, and resilience.
Educational role, capable of promoting awareness and sensitivity towards accessibility.
Practical adaptation of roles, recognizing that some operational tasks may be particularly suited to people with cognitive disabilities.
Finally, when it comes to the benefits for young people with disabilities, a strongly positive picture emerges: library work is perceived as an opportunity for personal growth, skill development, and social inclusion. Participants emphasize the importance of increasing self-esteem, a sense of purpose, and the acquisition of practical and interpersonal skills, which can facilitate integration into the workforce and the community. The library is therefore seen as a nurturing and welcoming environment, capable of offering concrete opportunities for learning, participation, and independence.
Discussion
The findings from Activity 3.2 confirm that the librarian’s role is undergoing a structural and functional transformation across Europe. The traditional custodian role is being replaced by a hybrid professional profile integrating:
Digital expertise,
Educational and mentoring capacities,
Social innovation competences, and
Community engagement skills.
This aligns with broader European trends emphasizing lifelong learning, inclusion, and employability. The results also suggest the need to embed pedagogical and digital competences into librarian training curricula, bridging cultural heritage with new learning technologies.
Highlights
166 participants (librarians, educators, and stakeholders) from five European countries contributed to a comprehensive needs analysis on the future of librarianship.
The study identified four key competence areas for future librarians: digital transformation, pedagogical and mentoring skills, social inclusion, and lifelong career development.
A majority of the librarians (almost 68% of the librarian sample) believe the role of libraries is evolving significantly. This perception is consistent with the dynamics that in recent years have been redefining libraries as spaces for continuous learning, digital inclusion and cultural innovation.
A growing shift toward “pedagogical librarianship” was observed, with about 80% of librarians envisioning the librarian as a mentor and learning facilitator for new interns, even those with disabilities.
Results reveal the emergence of new professional identities, positioning librarians as digital mentors, inclusion agents, and community connectors.
Findings directly informed the Guidelines for Future Librarians, which underpins future modules in WP4 and WP5.
Conclusions
Activity 3.2 – Needs Analysis of the Byblios project provides evidence-based insights into the evolution of librarianship in the digital and inclusive era.
The survey of 48 professionals across five countries highlights a shared need for upskilling and role redefinition, centered on digital transformation and mentoring competences.
These results will directly inform the training modules and educational resources developed in WP4 and WP5, contributing to a new European vision of inclusive, future-ready librarianship.