Reimagining librarianship: Upskilling for the human-centric 5th Industrial Revolution

The advent of the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) represents a profound shift in how technology is integrated with human values. This is however, characterized by unique opportunities as well as challenges in the field of librarianship. This paper dwelt on the review of existing literature on the reimagining librarianship, with specific focus on upskilling for the human centric Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR). The paper exposes the attributes and implications of the 5th Industrial Revolution on librarianship as a profession and librarians’ efforts in upskilling for professional transformation. It further identifies the implementation challenges, and strategic pathways. The paper also reveals that librarians have moved beyond technical roles to agents of social innovations and digital inclusion; that upskilling has been hindered by rigid traditional library education programme curriculum, which is adamant to change, while librarians are facing time and resources constraints. Strategic approach to the way forward needs to operate at multiple levels, including: institutional, professional organizations, educational institutes and individual practitioner.