Educational collaboration of Russian libraries: The possibilities and prospects

Collaboration is one of the most efficient forms of cooperation within the system of continuing library and information education. The study is based on general scientific methods, including that of institutional analysis. The study subject is collaboration as an instrument of interaction and joint efforts, wшер the results to be actualized through exchange of knowledge, experience and skills in a specific educational ecosystem. The study object is collaboration within the system of continuing library professional education. With resource, organizational and process approaches, the essence of the concept of "collaboration" is identified; the focus is made on its special institutional structure and role in efficient interaction between the subjects of knowledge economy. The essence of the definition of "educational collaboration" is revealed, taking into account the inherent features and various individual approaches to its interpretation. The experience in building the collaboration of library continuing education providers, i.e. "LENINKA" Corporate University of the Russian State Library and Department of Continuing Professional Education of the State Public Scientific and Technological Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences Siberian Branch, is analyzed (20192020). The special role of collaboration in providing continuing professional education to Russian library specialists is emphasized. It is demonstrated that collaboration in education facilitates co-organization of professional communities, render their activities more efficient and highly demanded within the digital economy and knowledge society.

Continuous Library and Information Education in the Era of Digital Transformation

Various modifications of the system of continuous library and information education are associated with the tasks of digitalization, determined by the national development goals of the Russian Federation. The purpose of this study is to identify the main transformational trends of this system in the context of the digitalization of culture. The authors reveal the concepts of “digitalization of education”, “lifelong education”. The article analyses the reports of the track “Professional education of specialists in library and information sphere” conducted in the framework of international scientific and practical conference “Science, Technology and Information in Libraries (LIBWAY — 2020)”, held on September 14—17, 2020. The authors identified the main problematic issues of continuous library and information education: personnel potential of libraries in the era of large-scale and accelerating technological changes; diversification of additional professional education for library staff as one of the links in continuous education; regulatory support for the development of system of continuous library education; new vectors in educational activities aimed at the formation of professional and supra-professional competencies as a factor of competitiveness of the library specialists in the context of multitasking and efficiency of the cultural sector. The article emphasizes that the continuous library and information education of specialists in the era of digitalization of culture is progressing due to the new information technologies, implementation of innovative library experience, as well as the formation of new competencies of library personnel. The authors state that the development of culture and the growth of the country’s potential depend on the success of building unified library and information knowledge space as a valuable resource and the basis for economic success in the future, part of which is the system of continuous professional education.

Transnational interaction of educational institutions and libraries of Central Asia in the field of training and retraining of library personnel

This article examines the state and prospects of library personnel training in Central Asia. The article focuses on the creation of a new, alternative approach to training librarians, taking into account modern requirements, which ensures the maximum approximation of the traditional system of training specialists to international educational standards. At the same time, special attention is paid to the process of internationalization of library and information education in the Central Asian region.

The trends for modern libraries and building the strategy of library and information education in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The modern trends for the libraries to update library and information education in the Republic of Kazakhstan are examined. The state and the society offer challenges: meeting the expanding information demands in science, education, economics and industries; contributing to the information society. The human resources in the information industry makes the most important factor of increasing the efficiency of libraries. In 2018, the Congress of Kazakhstan librarians adopted the concept of human capital assets which required advanced training, expanding professional competencies and recruiting young professionals. Today, the university library departments focus on increasing scientific and creative potential of the faculty, engaging students in projects and creative activities; educating creative thinking and skills of applying innovative technologies in professional activities. The educational process and curricula are improved as a result of the feedback obtained from graduates and employers. Among the modernization trends in library education in the Republic of Kazakhstan are the country’s integration into the single information space and implementation of the main educational content within the context of trilingual educational policy.

“Continuing Library and Information Education” – the Conference inspired by Valentina A. Minkina, or On the role of the individual in history

In March, 2021, Valentina A. Minkina would turn eighty. Valentina A. Minkina is a prominent scientist, doctor of pedagogy, Professor of Information Management Department that she headed from 1991 to 2004. In memory of Valentina Minkina, the Library and Information Faculty of Saint-Petersburg State Institute of Culture holds the annual International Scientific and Methodological Conference “Continuing LIS Education”. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many professional events had to move to online or were deferred to a later date, and this conference, too. It is hard to overestimate the contribution of Valentina Minkina made to the library science. The authors review in brief her research efforts as the leader of the library scientific school and a wonderful mentor. The authors also review the origins and development of the conference. Among other library professional forums, the conference is unique as it focuses on professional education and training staff for libraries and information organizations, which is due not in no small way to Minkina’s ideas and the faculty’s traditions. The most significant publications in the periodicals on the conference are listed.

Bibliologos and library and information education

In the Decree of the President V. V. Putin of July 21, 2020 "On the national development goals of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030", there are two national goals that are directly related to the book and library business: the education of a harmoniously developed and socially responsible personality and the implementation of digital transformation of key sectors of the economy and social spheres. The Russian Bibliologos (book mind) has been creatively and collectively created over millennia. Cognition of the essence of the Bibliologos is a priority task of book and library science and library and information education today. The article examines the biological and social prerequisites of book communication, the dynamics of the development of the classical Bibliologos and the scientific and pedagogical foundations of the formation of the non-classical Bibliologos of the XXI century.The Bibliologos is understood as a biologically and socially determined intelligent productive force mastered by people in the process of hominization (humanization). The following functional definition is proposed: Bibliologos is the collective mind of a historically stable community of people who own the book culture, write and read books and are directly involved in the production of the bibliosphere. The Classical Bibliosphere is defined as a supersystem of book-communication systems that ensures the reproduction, preservation and further development of the national book culture. The structure of the bibliosphere is formed by socio-cultural institutions (systems, or branches of the book business), namely: publishing, printing industry, book trade, librarianship, bibliography. Each institute includes practice, education, science, special communication, management bodies. The branch problems of the bibliosphere are studied by related, but relatively independent, scientific and practical studies (bibliography, library science, records management, book history, bibliopolistics, editsiology, etc.), and bibliology is engaged in general problems – a complex science (or a complex of sciences) about books and books, as well as general document theory, or documentology. In addition to branch institutes, the bodies of the bibliosphere are: bibliophile socio-cultural movement; non-profit and commercial founders and voluntary associations; government authorities and censorship.The participation of the Russian Bibliologos and the library school in the implementation of the human-creative project as a national target is envisaged. Particular attention is paid to the European experience of modeling a new type of person, the historical project "Memory for the Future", cyber-socialization of the society of the future, topical issues of non-classical library and information education and the synthesis of book culture and digital culture of the XXI century. It is concluded that national security and the well-being of future generations depend on the non-classical Bibliosphere, in particular on national libraries and school librarians.

DEVELOPMENT OF LIBRARY EDUCATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

Library as an ancient institution of written language, enlightenment, culture and education ever took a significant part in social life hence the library profession and training highly skilled specialists for the library sphere deserve special attention. Training of librarians in the constantly changing information society demands specialized government policy. The Republic of Uzbekistan government, in every possible way, favors the modernization of higher education in general and library education in particular, thus the formation of the young generation of specialists with high professional culture is one of the most important tasks for the republican government. The development of all social spheres, active implementation of up-to-date information technologies and intensively developing industry call for the creation of a flexible and coordinated system of training of well-qualified specialists. The necessity of elaboration and realization of a new model in library and information education in the Republic of Uzbekistan, which could meet the modern society needs and effectively respond to their changes, promoting the national library education accession to the world scientific and informative space is a long-term pressing question. Nowadays, higher library education in the Republic of Uzbekistan still experiences many difficulties and has many urgent problems to solve, e.g.: – to implement step training of specialists, – to organize the system of personnel retraining, – to improve the selection of entering educational institutions, – to widen the sphere of making use of graduates, etc. The article presents the experience of reforming library and information education in the Republic of Uzbekistan in different periods (since1970s – up to the present time). It has revealed both positive and negative sides of library education reformation in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Library education models and pathways in the digital economy

Crucial questions of library and information education in the circumstances of digital economy are formulated. Factors to impact the pathways of library and information education are defined. The current trends in higher education influencing the models and pathways of library and information education, library profession and sector development within the digital economy, are revealed.

Internationalization of Library and Information Science Education in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

Internationalization of education is of particular importance both for improving the quality of library and information education and for strengthening scientific, cultural, and political development in countries in Central Asia. The discussion in this chapter is divided into two parts: 1) library and information education in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as part of the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union, which specifically provides an overview of the current policies of the higher education internationalization, current state of library development and library education, the challenges and recommendations for improvement; and 2) challenges and opportunities common in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan and a general conclusion internationalization of Library and information science education in these four countries.

New format of regulative support of BA and MA programs in library and information sciences

The current regulation of higher education in library and information sciences reflects the prospective trends and orientation toward practical demands of the industry. The author examines the main concepts of the higher professional education reform under the way, i. e. multilevel structure and consistency, competence approach, connection with practical activities, integrated control and evaluation of obtained knowledge. Regulation novations of the updated federal national education standards of higher education in specializations 51.03.06 “Library and information activities”, BA, and 51.04.06 “Library and information activities”, MA, are discussed.The author also examines the methodological approaches toward modeling of the professional competences to be developed within BA and MA programs; the complex of mandatory and recommended professional competences to be developed within BA and MA programs.Based on the comprehensive analysis, the conclusion is made that the higher library and information education, like the Russian education system on the whole, has been going through the transformations; while library professional training corresponds with the general requirements of theBolognaprocess.