The Role of Digital Libraries in Employee Upskilling

In today's fast-paced digital world, businesses and organizations need to invest in the growth and development of their workforce to keep up with technological advancements. Survey results from Pluralsight found that 72% of tech team leaders today plan to increase their investment in tech skill development. This is because upskilling existing talent is more cost-effective than hiring and onboarding new employees. In fact, 97% of learning and development and HR directors say they prioritize internal talent over hiring new employees

However, ensuring access and adequate resources to upskill employees has proven challenging. With so many options and alternatives available today, businesses and organizations must find ways to help employees upskill and develop not just for their individual success but for organizational success. At Vinsys, we provide high-impact digital learning solutions and custom training options. We also work with various partners to provide educational content to our client base.

One of the key modern digital resources available to help with employee upskilling today are digital libraries and their potential may be vastly overlooked. Below, we'll look at what digital libraries typically offer and their role in enabling and improving employee upskilling:

What are digital libraries?

Digital libraries are an online collection of various assets and materials. Ebook and audiobook subscription platform Everand is one such digital library, hosting millions of ebooks, audiobooks, podcasts, magazines, newspapers, sheet music, and more. Organized across various topics and categories, platforms like Everand can provide access to materials to help employees grow and learn new skills, from Emotional Intelligence 2.0 to podcasts and audiobooks on digital business or marketing skills.

A shift away from conventional online or in-person courses, training, and workshops, digital libraries provide a new avenue for employee upskilling. They provide increased accessibility, personalized learning, and self-paced learning, helping employees better grow and develop themselves.

Increased accessibility

One of the key benefits of using digital libraries as a means to boost employee upskilling is that these platforms, websites, and applications are more accessible than most other resources. Users can easily access these digital libraries through the comforts of their smartphone, tablet, or computer. Moreover, some platforms also offer the ability to download these resources so users can access them offline and on the go.

Upskilling opportunities like in-person workshops and training may be inaccessible to people who live far away or have trouble scheduling their free time. By providing access to digital libraries, employees can easily read or listen to relevant learning materials to complement their digital learning and upskilling.

Personalized learning

In our "Transforming eLearning" post, we highlighted the importance of corporate learning and how having a learning strategy can help nurture skill development and enhance employee performance. Most importantly, we emphasized how Chief Learning Officers should be able to leverage digital learning solutions to create optimal learning environments specific to individuals and teams.

Another benefit of providing access to digital libraries is that employees can learn and develop their skills how they prefer or need. Today, many organizations have a multi-generational workforce. This means that people are learning and working differently from each other, and no one-size-fits-all approach would be practical for collective growth and success. Employees can use digital libraries to consume and learn from the materials they resonate with instead of sticking to a rigid template.

Learning at your own pace

Finally, accessing various online and offline materials using digital libraries helps foster a culture of self-paced learning. Research from Reputation Leaders highlights how daily challenges in the workplace can contribute to a lack of diversity as employees feel hindered from achieving their career goals and being satisfied in their roles.

For women employees who face time management and family demands, access to upskilling opportunities is limited. Up to 41% of women reported there is simply not enough time in the day and 35% report that family and other priorities take precedence. By providing a host of valuable learning and upskilling materials and resources through digital libraries, employees can better balance their time to grow their skills. For example, podcasts or audiobooks can be listened to on the commute to work or when free at home.