Awareness of Pakistani academic librarians towards communication skills barriers and benefits

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to measure the current levels of awareness of communication skills among academic librarians in degree-awarding institutions of Pakistan and to identify barriers that libraries, with the support of organizational stakeholders, could target to enhance adoption and / or improvement of these skills.

Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative research design, based on a Web-based survey method, used a questionnaire as the data collection tool for librarians used in degree-awarding institutions in Pakistan.

After incorporating feedback from experts in the field, the questionnaire link was shared with a sample population of n ¼ 400 academic librarians in Pakistan, using simple random sampling. The data was coded in Microsoft Excel and exported to SPSS v 26 for analysis.

Findings – Overall, the findings underscore a consistent and moderate to high level of awareness by this cohort of basic library communication skills and their associated benefits. The level of agreement as to the principal barriers to these skills aligns with previous research results over the past decade and therefore underlines the need to prioritize the development of appropriate solutions.

Research limitations/implications – Further research is indicated to investigate the major factors contributing to the principal barriers identified in the current study.

Practical implications – The study recommends that librarians work with relevant stakeholders to identify strategies to enhance their personal and interpersonal communication skills and to address current barriers to upskilling.

Originality/value – The study could serve as a foundation for any future research and policy frameworks to enhance employability and communication skills among librarians in Pakistan.

Keywords: Academic libraries, Interpersonal communication, Soft skills, Librarians, Employability skills, Library education