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Suggests that the task of ensuring a high level of staff motivation requires from library managers a range of managerial, sociological and psychological skills for which they have had very little training, if any at all. These include effective communication with staff, the encouragement of good workplace relationships, the involvement of staff in the decision making process, helping staff to come to terms with change, promoting job rotation, recognising and rewarding initiative and providing relevant training for staff.

The paper, based on the findings of the Library and Information Commission (LIC) report on Cross‐sectoral Mobility in the LIS Profession, considers some of the barriers to career development within the Library and Information Services profession. It focuses specifically upon difficulties experienced by LIS professionals in moving to different sectors of the profession. It discusses issues such as professional segregation; employer prejudice; poor employment strategies; lack of confidence among LIS professionals; training; and lack of professional support. In addition to outlining some of the barriers to the career development of LIS professionals, the paper offers a number of recommendations for employers, professional bodies and LIS professionals that may help to alleviate many of these barriers.

Considers a number of issues related to the development, at the University of Central England in Birmingham, of a distance learning course in research skills for public librarians. The course was initially developed as part of the Library and Information Commission funded project, Developing Research in Public Libraries. Discusses the need for a stronger culture of research in public libraries and the immediate and long‐term benefits, for public librarians, of a distance learning course in research skills. The evaluation of a pilot distance‐learning course indicated that librarians enrolled on the course perceived it as offering much needed training in a range of research skills. The main concerns relate to the lack of support from public library managers and the limited opportunities for librarians to share their knowledge with their colleagues. Reinforces the arguments for a distance learning course in research training that offers librarians the opportunity to develop and consolidate their research skills in their own time and at their own pace. However, the authors recognise that such a course can only accomplish its aims if public library authorities are prepared to support and encourage staff enrolled on the course.