UDC 371.64
FACTORS
CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF REFERENCE LIBRARIANS
Toeva M. E., Labenova R.S., Baibosynova G.D.
M.
Auezov South Kazakhstan State University, Shymkent
ARTICLE
In this article necessity of change of curriculums of preparation of
library workers for modern conditions are spoken about. Market attitudes and
modern information technologies make new demands to librarians. They should
have skills of information production marketing and preparation in sphere of
information technologies.
The current state of libraries and librarianship, as a
consequence, the requirements today for professional skills of library workers
and their training in specialized educational institutions of influence, in our
opinion, two main factors:
- market relations emerging and developing in our
society;
- information revolution, namely, first of all, in the
radical transformation and global spread of technical means of storage,
transmission and retrieval.
Words that information is the most expensive item, has
long been part of everyday life. If this is not an empty phrase, organizations,
producing and disseminating information should be the most competitive in the
market. However, in reality this is not happening. Most scientific
organizations, and libraries are working mainly on government subsidies, are
not able to earn on their own more than a modest existence.
This situation can be attributed to two reasons:
- low
information quality (mainly – the lack of methodological studies aimed at the
practical use of theoretical information), and, accordingly, low demand for it;
- the inability of producers and disseminators of
information working in market conditions, a lack of entrepreneurial activity
and skills.
The quality of information is more closely related to
their manufacturers, not the distributors. However, in principle, worldwide in
a single information market enters the same information product, and apparently
the main indicator of competitiveness of libraries lies not in the characteristics
of the information itself, and the quantity and quality of their efforts and
opportunities (technical, qualification, etc.) to find and provide information
that customers need in the required form.
In today's environment need to recognize that libraries
can not compete with the Internet in efficiency of
provision of operational information, and this progressive process, no doubt,
will evolve. The library ceases to be a source of operational information.
Another thing is that today the Internet is not able
to provide fundamental information in full (not all the literature is presented
in electronic form and posted on the Internet), a large array of literature it
is possible to get via the Internet shopping only with a delay and with a
substantial payment.
Apparently, here in these shortcomings is the Internet
and lie the biggest opportunities not only for conservation, but also for the
development of librarianship as such.
Objections – the majority of library services free of
charge. This is true, but this applies only to routine services for search and
information available in the library. Nothing and no one is not forbidden to
provide fee related services for the search and provision of information (e.g.,
the Internet), translation information for the right reader language, to
organize the conference (and not only readers), tutorials, trainings, meetings,
etc..
This requires certain technical conditions and
professional qualities and skills of librarians.
However, today conscious society needs the library and
the librarian, possessing such qualities doesn't exist. So, in the description
of the profession of "librarian" on the website of the consulting
company "Development" reads: "librarian – librarian, specialist
in the field of artistic, popular scientific literature. The demand in the labour market – the low – as well as offer of their
applications. Gives literature by subscription and reading rooms, studying the
queries of readers in Responsibilities: In cultural institutions provides a
selection of required readers of literature, rapid execution order to assist
them in the selection of literature. Involved in the acquisition Fund library,
the cataloging and the cataloging, in recording and storage of the Fund, in the
promotion of books, research and scientific-methodical work of the library.
Does individual conversation with readers, assists them in the selection of
books, magazines, organizes thematic literary conferences, book fairs,
completes the book Fund, maintains the library collection, etc. The librarian
should know the contents of artistic, popular scientific literature, the
methodology of conducting individual interviews, forms and methods of
conducting of conferences, exhibitions, etc., the rules of accounting and
handling books. Professionally important qualities of the librarian: high
communicative skills, tact, emotional endurance, a good memory. Eligibility
requirements: the Library of the College or appropriate faculty of the
Institute of culture" [1].
About the same list of requirements to the
professional qualities in other sources that do not originate from professional
librarians, and organizers and consumers of the products of their labor.
The specialists of library business structure skills
that constitute the competence of the librarian, traditionally describe as
follows:
- cognitive skills (cognitive and analytical steps in
library work);
design skills (ability to formulate goals, plans,
forecasts, risks, forms and methods of library service, etc.);
- design skills (ability to organize and efficiently
use all the logistical and personnel resources library services);
- communicative skills (ability to establish optimal
relationships with colleagues, readers, etc.);
- organizational skills (the ability to generate a
library asset; to organize independent information-search activities of
readers; to encourage self-education readers);
- axiological skills (skill in choosing the forms and
methods of work with readers to focus on the characteristics of the readership;
to formulate and substantiate the evaluation of different information) [2].
Of course, the
list of requirements to the professional qualities of the librarian, compiled
by experts, more precise and detailed in identifying the range of activities
and skills of a good library than a list, compiled by recruitment consultants
agencies. But neither in that nor in other case, practically nothing is said
about the requirements for skills and skills of work in modern conditions of
market competition and technological revolution in the information sphere.
At the same time, be a recognized expert in library
science, A.V. Sokolov, writes: "Starry-eyed
immaturity, gullible humility and simplicity now look like a typical
socio-psychological trait of the aggregate of the librarian. But this trait, of
course, have not all. Draw attention to two socio-psychological groups: group
of violent nihilists who do not believe in change for the better, and the group
of intelligent optimists, is aware of negative trends and are ready to resist
them..." [3].
In our opinion, in today's environment, and
consequently, the activities of libraries and librarians should be focused on
the constant search for its own niche in the quality change is unpredictable
and changing every day information space. Writes T.V. Maistrovich
"many experts believe that the role of libraries in information society
consists in filtering, assessing, processing and enforcement of an easy-to-use
status of various network resources." 4 it Seems that such a restriction
of the professional and cultural functions of libraries and librarians is not
justified, but, undoubtedly, these functions have become in the work of a
modern librarian a significant role.
In order to create such a library, its team of
specialists, in our opinion, is to possess, besides the special skills of
librarians, and even the totality of skills that characterize the expert of the
information services market.
In this regard, we can say that time puts forward new
requirements for training of students – future librarians, to the formation of
their new competencies required in the new environment.
In a General sense, it is obvious that such qualities,
in addition to traditional shall be assigned:
skills creative activities;
skills market research and information services;
- the skills of modern management in the field of
librarianship;
- mastery of existing and ability to improve skills
constantly improving the technical means of obtaining and disseminating
information;
- knowledge of foreign language, at least in an amount
sufficient for General orientation in foreign-language information;
- skills of preparing and holding public events.
Obviously, this list can be refined and continued in
accordance with the personal experiences of librarians. The main thing to keep
in mind is the formation of the active position of the expert librarianship,
not waiting, when the reader would come to him, and then he will explain, show
and give. and to the seeker and attracts a customer to the library (marketing
and advertising), which as a librarian prepared to this client it had something
to do, and to have it anywhere other than the library could not obtain such
services.
The effectiveness of the training of future librarians
can be increased only to alert him to a mastery of the most advanced experience
of libraries. Unfortunately, the education system is much conservatively real
life, very often, almost always, behind her. This is understandable: best
practices it is necessary to first obtain, then to explore, then develop the
methods of teaching, and only then to introduce into the learning process of
students.
It is a natural lag of education from practice in
time, in our opinion, could be significantly reduced by enhancing exchange
between librarians, researchers of the sphere (and with the involvement of
students – future librarians) methods and results of their practical experience
(using the management, marketing, technical means of direct communication at
conferences, seminars, etc.).
This will not only improve the quality of the
educational process, but in the future will help to create a critical mass for
a breakthrough in library science in a creative, professional and technically
trained professionals of library science, different from the traditional
librarians, technology specialists differ from the artisans.
This, we think, the main feature of the attractiveness
of labor of the modern library worker: he is the specialist-technologist that
is able to extract from the ocean of information that which is necessary to the
consumer.
REFERENCES
1. See: htt:
//razvitie. ua/ dictionary/
2. Cm. eg.:
Sokolov A. V. "Retrospective -60".- SPB.,
1994; the Librarian and the reader: problems and communication. Method.
allowance.- SPB., 1993.
3. Cm. eg.:
Sokolov A. V. "Retrospective - 60", SPb., 1994. P. 271.
4. Maistrovich
T. V. problems of formation of Fund of electronic documents // Nauch. I tekhn. libraries. 2000, No. 10. P.39.