Trends and requirements in intellectual property (IP) librarianship: an analysis of IP-related job postings in academic libraries

Abstract

In the preservation of knowledge and culture, Intellectual property (IP) rights play a crucial role, as well as in the promotion of innovation. Libraries play a central role in managing these rights by protecting the rights of creators while facilitating users' access to information. This study analyzes job advertisements for IP-related positions in academic libraries to identify hiring trends and expertise requirements within the field. This research adopts a quantitative approach, performing a content analysis of data from the American Library Association's JobLIST platform covering the period from 2006 to 2023. Text-mining techniques were employed to process and analyze the data. The research findings highlight that intellectual property management in academic libraries has become more complex and strategic due to digitalization processes, necessitating more excellent expertise and institutional structuring in IP librarianship.