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Flexible working in UK library and information services

current practice and concerns

Department of Information and Library Studies, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK

Evelyn Kerslake

Department of Information and Library Studies, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK

Reports results of a study designed to explore flexible working in different types of library and information services (LIS) and the perceptions of library managers. Defines some of the different types of flexible working: part time work; job sharing; temporary work; term time work; flexitime; and annual hours employment. The six month study was financed by the School of Education and Humanities, Loughborough University, and arranged in three parts: a literature review; a questionnaire survey of LIS; and case study interviews with library managers. Findings covered: the incidence of flexible workers in libraries; the incidence of flexible workers by library department; library managers' reasons for using flexible workers; library managers' opinions of flexible workers; and their future uses. Main areas of managers' concern were problems of co-ordination and communication. Concludes that library managers need to develop an understanding of flexible worker demands and requirements. There is evidence that flexible workers have different reasons for such working from their full time colleagues and, presumably, value different things in the workplace. In order to develop good practice in this area, suggests further research into the expanding use of temporary labour in LIS, the role of fixed term contracts and the nature of casual workers.

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