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  • LISWire: LYRASIS and Skilltype Form Exclusive Partnership to Distribute Talent Management Tools to Global Library Community

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    September 2nd, 2020LISWire aggregatorUncategorized

    To meet increasing demands for tools that address lack of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, and mounting budgetary concerns and hiring freezes for the GLAMs environment, the two organizations are collaborating to improve access and affordability to modern talent management infrastructure.

    ATLANTA, GEORGIA and BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - September 2, 2020 - LYRASIS, a global non-profit membership organization providing technology and content services for galleries, libraries, archives, museums (GLAMs), and research communities, and Skilltype, a software platform for information professionals and their teams to analyze, grow and share expertise, today announce a new partnership for professional development and talent management in the global GLAM sector.

    “We have entered a new era in the information profession. COVID-19 has ripped the tape off of a 150-year old model for managing talent, forcing us to alter how we grow as information professionals,” says Tony Zanders, founder and CEO of Skilltype. “Before the pandemic, we began collaborating with academic libraries to reimagine our reconstruction-era techniques through the lenses of modern technology, policy and design.” After two years of research and development, Skilltype is making its platform available to the global GLAM sector through an exclusive distribution partnership with LYRASIS.

    “Our research and innovation division was launched this summer with forums to listen to our community discuss leadership during crisis, and DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility),” says Robert Miller, CEO of LYRASIS. “After hearing Tony’s perspectives on these issues, and understanding how Skilltype is supporting the community during this crisis, it became clear that this is exactly the type of organization we want to support and partner with.”

    As a trusted technology and training provider, LYRASIS is uniquely positioned to support Skilltype in their next chapter. One example is through the integration of the LYRASIS Learning professional development offering and the Skilltype platform. Just as the Skilltype partnership was born at a Leaders Forum, LYRASIS Learning itself was a response to conversations with the LYRASIS member community around the rising costs and scalability of professional development models. Skilltype and the LYRASIS Learning platform create a unique model for learning in libraries.

    “In recent years we’ve heard an increasing need for resources that help our members overcome the traditional barriers to DEIA, and that give them content and tools to keep their staff highly trained and ready to effectively manage the challenges of the day...and the future. We always say we want to solve the problems of today with the tools of tomorrow, and this partnership lets us do that. It’s a great opportunity for all of us.” says Lisa Larson, Sr. Director of Outreach & Engagement at LYRASIS.

    “At URI, we joined Skilltype at its inception because of its novel approach to professional development,” commented Karim Boughida, Dean of Libraries at University of Rhode Island. “We have long sought a way to help raise social awareness among staff and prepare us for the future of work, and Skilltype is the only product in the market helping libraries with these issues in a scalable and affordable way. Now being in the midst of two pandemics, Social Justice and COVID-19, it has gone from a nice to have to a must-have for our community. We welcome wholeheartedly the partnership of LYRASIS and Skilltype. It will enhance the access and affordability of the platform for collections-holding institutions of all types.”

    Through its free offering, Skilltype provides one-stop access to professional development opportunities and resources from around the world through a WCAG 2.0 compliant platform. This design-centric approach levels the playing field by removing many of the barriers to accessing quality training opportunities, including those who rely on assistive technology. Anyone can get access for free at skilltype.com.

    Skilltype for Teams, the firm’s enterprise offering, enables organizations to analyze, develop and share expertise. This paid subscription platform is now available exclusively through LYRASIS, with a discounted rate for LYRASIS members. Organizations can contact membersupport@lyrasis.org for more information.

    Gonzaga University’s Foley Library, a LYRASIS member and LYRASIS Learning subscriber, was one of nine development partners in the Skilltype community. “I think the synergy between Skilltype and LYRASIS Learning will improve our employees’ experiences with each service,” says Paul Bracke, Dean of Libraries at Gonzaga University. “The content from LYRASIS Learning will provide a wider range of professional development opportunities within Skilltype, and the personalized interface of Skilltype will help employees find the right LYRASIS Learning resources for them. And in a time of resource constraints, anything we can do to streamline business processes, through combined billing for example, is a positive.”

    About LYRASIS
    LYRASIS (www.lyrasis.org), a non-profit membership organization, partners with member libraries, archives, and museums to create, access, preserve and manage information, with an emphasis on digital content, while building and sustaining collaboration, enhancing operations and technology, and increasing buying power.

    About Skilltype
    Skilltype is an American human resources and software-as-a-service (SaaS) company headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. Founded in 2018, the company primarily offers talent management software and application programming interfaces (APIs) for information professionals and their teams to analyze, develop and share expertise.

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