ABOUT
Equity, Data & Technology
Skilltype is a member-owned human resources technology collaborative established to unlock the information profession. Information professionals spend their entire careers investing in a patron’s future. At Skilltype, we build tools to invest in their future.
Our Mission
Truth is under siege, making knowledge management, information technology and scholarly research more influential each day. The intertwining of information, cybersecurity, corporate interests and politics has created a new norm for leaders, learners, and everyday citizens. This new age, defined by the weaponization of low-quality information against society’s most sacred institutions, calls for a bold plan of action. Skilltype’s mission is to unlock the information profession by diversifying, developing, and disseminating our craft.
Our Strategy
Photo Credit: JCLC2018 Twitter
Diversifying the Profession
A global community of professionals commit their lives to the creation, access, management, security and preservation of knowledge. At Skilltype, we believe that the face of the profession needs to evolve to reflect the communities they serve. We are committed to expanding access to qualified individuals from every background based on their skills, rather than their creditworthiness, credentials or connections.
Photo Credit: NEASIST Twitter
Developing the Profession
85% of the jobs that exist in 2030 have yet to be created, requiring today’s training to be rethought and designed from the ground up. By then, only 9% of our workforce will be full-time, making the services we deliver, how we deliver them and who we deliver them to ripe for disruption. Skilltype develops tools to prepare individuals and teams for this new reality.
Credit: USC Annenberg YouTube
Disseminating the Profession
The future of the information profession is brighter than ever, but there are still glass ceilings to break. Not just within our institutions, but in new industries as well. We believe that our impact can be felt far beyond the college campus, and information professionals have an opportunity to lead government, corporate, and non-profit entities as they transition into the next information age.
Our Community
Our team encompasses a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds, from library science, cybersecurity and computer science, to management consulting, customer service and grassroots campaigning. We are united by our passion for libraries and their role in society, and creating equal opportunities for the people who serve the library’s mission.
Photo Credit: Harlin Miller
Members
Amardo Cohall 👨🏾💼
Elaina Norlin 👩🏾💼
Harlin Miller 👨🏾🔧
Jacob Young 👨🏻💻
Paul Hine 👨🏻💻
Tony Zanders 👨🏾💼
Valerie Hawkins 👩🏾💼
Advisors
Alexia Hudson-Ward, PhD (Oberlin College)
Daniel Tarekegn (Google)
Ifeyinwa “Ify” Walker (Offor)
Jason Varghese (NYPL)
Julian Herbert (Amazon)
Kimiz Dalkir, PhD (McGill)
Safiya Noble, PhD (Oxford)
Development Partners
Black Caucus of American Library Association (BCALA)
Boston University Libraries
Brandeis University Libraries
Gonzaga University Libraries
Oberlin College Libraries & Conservatory
Tulane University Libraries
Wayne State University Library System
Wayne State University Office of Computing & IT
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries
University of Rhode Island Libraries
Motivated by the lack of tools available for understanding the talent organizations have in house and how to align skills with strategic goals, Skilltype fills an urgent and ever-growing need. We envision a transformation in the way librarians, IT professionals and researchers are trained, valued, compensated and deployed into an increasing number of areas throughout society.
We hope you’ll join us in our mission to create the future of the information profession. Sign up now.