Education and Employability

the Librarian and the Challenges of Digital Transformation

Abstract

This article investigates the impacts of digital transformation on the future of librarians' work, understood as information professionals in a scenery marked by uncertainty, technological fluidity and redefinitions in organizational practices. The research is based on the hypothesis that there is a mismatch between traditional academic training and the technical and behavioral demands of a job market increasingly guided by the digital economy. The main objective is to understand how digital transformation will impact librarians' work in the next decade, considering three axes of analysis: training institutions, recruitment companies and digital native organizations.

The theoretical basis mobilizes authors from Information Science, Sociology of Work and Information Management, proposing an expanded reading of the professional habitus (Bourdieu) in the face of new sociotechnical demands. The study adopts the Quadripolar Method, which articulates the epistemological, theoretical, technical and morphological poles, allowing for a qualitative, non-linear and integrated approach. The Delphi technique was used to collect data, with 110 participants divided into three groups: trainers, recruiters and contractors.

The results reveal a misalignment between the training offered and the skills demanded by digital companies. While trainers maintain a more traditional and academic focus, recruiters and contractors point to the need for skills such as digital fluency, data science, artificial intelligence, digital marketing, agile methodologies and strategic information management. In terms of behavioral skills, the following stand out: flexibility, strategic vision, multidisciplinary mediation and anticipation of opportunities and risks.

The research also highlighted the debate on professional nomenclature, suggesting that the term “librarian” can be revised or expanded to include designations such as “information scientist” or “digital librarian” or “information scientist in documentation and data”, although its preservation is advocated as long as it is associated with specific and contextualized training. Furthermore, a growing demand was identified for more flexible curricula, oriented towards problem-solving and structured with training paths that articulate mandatory and complementary content.