As library visitor needs have changed over the years, libraries have found that they often need staff to have different skills and characteristics compared to what they may have needed in the past. If there is a mismatch between someone’s skills and the needs of a particular position, this increases staff stress as well as impacting the customer experience of the library. 

In this episode, Beth and Jane discuss some of the training needs of staff to help them be as prepared as possible for the contemporary realities of the work. They interview Anne-Maree Pfabe, Library Manager at the City of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia). Anne-Maree shares strategies she uses for hiring staff who are a good fit for the library environment as well as ways her library tries to support the ongoing professional development needs of staff.