(With thanks to Hazel Hall for almost all of the words below.)

The Workforce Mapping Project survey is live at http://bit.ly/workforcemap

This is a call to workers in the library, archives, records, information, and knowledge management sector to contribute to a research project by completing a short survey. If you work in this sector, please read on to learn more about the project and how you can contribute to it.

In 2014 the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and the Archives and Records Association commissioned research to better understand, and monitor trends in, the UK library, archives, records, information, and knowledge management workforce. The findings of this work will help the two bodies to plan and develop their activities as related to a wide range of activities including membership advocacy with government and employers, policy development, and the provision of services.

Over the past few months I have been working on the Workforce Mapping Project at Edinburgh Napier University with colleagues from the Centre for Social Informatics and the Employment Research Institute. (For me, it’s been great to work with new colleagues and learn a little about their specialisms.)

Our analysis of Labour Force Survey data completed in Phase 1 of the project indicates that there could be as many as 270,000 in the UK library, archives, records, information, and knowledge management workforce. In Phase 2 we are collecting data directly from the workforce with this invitation to complete the Workforce Mapping Project survey at http://bit.ly/workforcemap.

The success of this project depends on a high survey return rate from members of the workforce. If you are based in the UK and work in library, archives, records, information, and/or knowledge management (whether in a paid or volunteer role), please could you complete the survey? The survey takes no more than 15 minutes to complete, and gives respondents the opportunity to enter a prize draw for £200 worth of vouchers.

We’d also be grateful if you could extend the reach of this invitation by passing the survey link (http://bit.ly/workforcemap) on to your colleagues and other contacts who work in the library, archives, records, information, and knowledge management sector – through social media (e.g. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+), by email, or in person. Many thanks!