About 400 publications have been published in the scholarly and professional literature with the words ‘future of libraries’ or ‘future of librarianship’ in any of their text fields since 2016. This number (~3500) was significantly higher when these search terms were used in Google Scholar for the same period as it has a broad coverage of databases and repositories. The same search yielded more than 500 publications in 2016 for the previous 5-year period (Dorner et al., 2017). Such an interest in the future of the field in the community is no coincidence as the library and information science (LIS) profession has been going through a major transformation period (Fraser-Arnott, 2019) due to emergence of new digital technologies that dramatically improve access to information for the average user (Fraser-Arnott, 2019; IFLA Trend Report, 2019; Witt & Smith, 2019) and, as a result, transformations in the global information economy (IFLA Trend Report, 2019).

Professional identity is generally defined as one’s interpretation of self as a professional in connection with the personal and professional experiences, attitudes, and aspirations (e.g., Cheung, 2008; Whyte, 2002). Definitions of professional identity in the literature appear to share three common elements: (1) self-labelling as a professional, (2) integration of skills and attitudes as a professional, and (3) a perception of context in a professional community (Fraser-Arnott, 2019; Gibson et al., 2010). Therefore, one’s professional identity needs to be regarded as a fluid construct as it can change over time through learning, experiences, and interactions with others within the profession and beyond (Cheung, 2008; Dorner et al., 2017; Fraser-Arnott, 2019; Pierson et al., 2019).

The LIS profession goes through transformations as a response to challenges and opportunities from the external environment (e.g., digital evolution) and within (e.g., workforce demographics) which in turn requires changes to the professional identities of the individuals working in the field (Fraser-Arnott, 2019). There is no validated and reliable instrument available in LIS to measure professional identity development of information professionals. As the profession goes through a transformation and recalibrates itself to stay relevant, enhance training opportunities and programs to promote a strong professional identity, and better address the needs and expectations of users, having a validated and reliable instrument to assess the professional identity of the professionals in the field will help address this gap.

Socialization within a professional community plays a key role in construction of professional identities (Croxton, 2015; Dobrow & Higgins, 2005; Dorner et al., 2017; Fraser-Arnott, 2019), the theories of social identity (Tajfel, 1978) and communities of practice (Wenger, McDermott, et al., 2002) are selected as a theoretical framework to inform the development of a professional identity development scale for information professionals.

According to the social identity theory, individuals drive one part of their total identity, their social identity, from the group or groups that they belong to (Tajfel, 1978). Social identity is ‘that part of an individual’s self-concept which derives from knowledge of membership in a social group (or groups) together with the value or emotional significance attached to that membership’ (Tajfel, 1978, p. 63). The social group’s features, norms, values, and expectations determines not only the strength and content of social identity but also emotions and behaviours. A group of people who engage in joint learning activities, build relationships, and help each other regularly in pursuing their interests in the domain is described as a community (Wenger, Mcdermott, et al., 2002) and continuity in their interactions allows them to develop a sense of belonging, identity, and commitment.

Professional identity cannot be treated as a fixed attribute (Cheung, 2008) as it is informed and shaped by a variety of factors that influence how one perceives themselves as a professional. Formal education and training is seen as a foundational step to building a sense of professionalism (Hussey & Campbell-Meier, 2016; Sare et al., 2012; Tan et al., 2017; Trede et al., 2012) as students are introduced to knowledge, skills, ethical expectations, and professional values of the field. Through knowledge of the profession (Tan et al., 2017) and practical experiences (Tan et al., 2017; Trede et al., 2012) in the field such as internships or prior work experience (Bird et al., 2011; Croxton, 2015), students align themselves with the expectations of the profession as such experiences also allow students expand their social networks in their field (Tomlinson & Jackson, 2021). Professional identity is also cultivated through interactions with peers, mentors, and professional networks (Croxton, 2015; Hussey & Campbell-Meier, 2016; Pierson et al., 2019). Engagement with professional associations (Pierson et al., 2020; Woo & Henfield, 2015) promote their socialization into the field through opportunities such as networking (Dobrow & Higgins, 2005), professional development, and advocacy. LIS profession is grounded in a set of core values and ethical principles including intellectual freedom, public good, and equitable access (e.g., Core Values of Librarianship - ALA, 2024; Our Vision and Mission - IFLA, n.d.). Internalization of such values and ethical principles not only provide a foundation for professionals perform their roles and responsibilities in the field (Woo & Henfield, 2015) but also allow them to align themselves with their peers, enhance their sense of belonging to the community (Wenger, Mcdermott, et al., 2002), and strengthen their professional identity (Adams et al., 2006; Pierson et al., 2020).

The study employed a quantitative approach to develop an instrument to measure professional identity development of information professionals. A framework proposed by Pierson et al. (2019) included 14 characteristics relevant to professional identity development of information professionals informed the instrument development. A mapping of values, ethics, and competences statements of major professional associations including the American Library Association, the American Alliance of Museums, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions developed to inform the instrument development. Although professional identity development scales developed in other helping professions including the professional identity scale for in-service teachers (Cheung, 2008) and the professional identity scale in counselling (Woo et al., 2018; Woo & Henfield, 2015) are discipline specific, they served as a model and appropriate measures are adapted. Professional identity in LIS domain is conceptualized as the product of six areas of an LIS professional’s ability to

demonstrate knowledge of the profession (Knowledge of the Profession) [7 items],

A total 63 item questions were initially developed for these constructs.

The results suggest that the proposed instrument has high internal reliability and captures aspects of the LIS professional identity. Though professional identity in LIS domain was originally conceptualized as the product of six areas of an LIS professional’s ability to perform, results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that five areas or subscales can assess the LIS professional identity as shown in Table 1. The most central aspect in the scale was the Professional Integrity factor. This subscale comprised of 13 items from three areas: philosophy of the profession, professional roles and expertise, and attitude. Although these items were originally conceptualized to be part of three separate areas, they were grouped into a single factor. Since these items are related to professional values, ethics, and advocacy which are integral to how LIS professionals approach their responsibilities, this subscale was named as Professional Integrity. Internalization of professional values, ethics, and advocacy ensures that professionals consistently uphold the principles and responsibilities of their profession, informing their actions and decisions in a way that benefits society and advances the profession. This alignment cultivates a sense of purpose, belonging (Wenger, Mcdermott, et al., 2002), and commitment to their professional role (Adams et al., 2006; Pierson et al., 2020).

The second most important subscale emerged as the Engagement Behaviours. This area measures an LIS professional’s capability to perform professional actions and activities, and socialization into the field. As expected, proposed items for this area were grouped into a single factor. Participation in professional associations and engagement with the community play a critical role in strengthening one’s professional identity through interaction with their peers and community (Croxton, 2015; Dobrow & Higgins, 2005; Woo & Henfield, 2015).

The third factor emerged as Knowledge of the Profession. Items that were originally conceptualized in this area emerged under this factor with the addition of an item from the original professional roles and expertise area. Since the additional item was about professional training and preparation which aligned well with the area’s focus on measuring an LIS professional’s basic knowledge and understanding of the profession, the name of the area was retained. Respondents agreed that education and training play a critical role in building and strengthening one’s professional identity (Hussey & Campbell-Meier, 2016; Sare et al., 2012; Tan et al., 2017; Trede et al., 2012).

The fourth factor emerged from the analysis was the Attitude. Proposed items in this area were grouped into a single factor with an additional item from professional roles and expertise. The

added item was the professional’s self confidence in their work and services. Since the original construct measures an LIS professional’s perspective toward the profession and oneself and the added item was related to one’s attitude towards their own work, the name of the subscale was retained. One’s perspective towards the profession is influenced by a combination of factors including personal and social influences (Fraser-Arnott, 2019) including education and training, professional community, work experiences, and perception of the profession by others.

The last factor emerged from the data was the Perception. This area focused on capturing an LIS professional’s perception of the profession (stereotypes/misconceptions) by others. Three items that were originally conceptualized in this area were grouped into a single factor. Perception of the profession and professionals by others is an important factor in informing LIS professional identity as professional often ground their identity in services that they provide (Fagan et al., 2021; Hicks, 2016).

The use of a non-probability sampling strategy to recruit participants limits generalizability of the results to a larger population. A confirmatory factor analysis needed to increase the generalizability of the results. Additionally, the instrument may have a North American bias in questions related to accreditation as such an external accreditation structure may apply to other parts of the world.

The results of the study supported that proposed constructs were mostly consistent with LIS professional identity scale factors. Though there is extensive research in professional identity development of LIS professionals, this is a first step to developing a scale to measure LIS professional identity. Such a scale can be useful tool for LIS education and training programs to assess the impact of their activities on participants’ professional identity development. LIS students and early career professionals may also use such a scale to assess their own preparation for the profession by identifying their strengths and weaknesses.