Get a higher library degree. Where and what are librarians taught? Benefits of being a librarian

For more than 4,500 years, libraries have been an indispensable part of the intellectual and social development of mankind, and librarians have an impressive influence on the cultural development of both individual groups of the population and the country as a whole. However, despite his advanced age and active participation in the development of society, the librarian profession still remains one of the most “closed” and “misunderstood”.

For more than 4,500 years, libraries have been an indispensable part of the intellectual and social development of mankind, and librarians have an impressive influence on the cultural development of both individual population groups and the country as a whole. However, despite his advanced age and active participation in the development of society, the librarian profession still remains one of the most “closed” and “misunderstood”.

Ask any passerby “What is the job of a librarian?”, and you will most likely hear “Issuing books.” To some extent, this is the correct answer, but it reflects only the “external” aspect of the librarian’s professional activity. In fact, the profession of a librarian is much more multifaceted and complex than it might seem at first glance, and a librarian is not just a “keeper of books,” but a highly qualified and multifaceted specialist who must have a number of different qualities.

Who is a librarian?

A librarian is a specialist who is responsible for the preservation and systematization of the library collection, and also serves library visitors (including by providing information and consulting services).

The name of the profession was derived from the word library, which in turn comes from the Greek βιβλίον (book) and θήκη (place of storage). The first librarians appeared simultaneously with the emergence of writing and the first “books” in the form of clay tablets. Initially, the duties of librarians included only a quick search for the right book. However, as the library collection increased, the scope of librarians’ activities also expanded.

A modern librarian is a specialist who can not only quickly find the book a reader needs, but also knows all the features of storing printed publications (including ancient copies), organizes and manages the collection, provides information services to visitors and is fluent in modern information technologies .

The professional responsibilities of a librarian include: serving readers (filling out subscriptions, searching and issuing literature, recording issued and returned materials, etc.), analyzing reader requests, ensuring the collection and safety of the collection, processing received publications, compiling card files and catalogues, organizing thematic exhibitions, seminars, discussions, etc.

What personal qualities should a librarian have?

The profession of a librarian involves frequent and direct communication with a variety of people, therefore library worker, first of all, must be polite, tolerant and sociable. No less important in the work of a librarian is a neat appearance and competent speech. In addition, the specifics of the work require the librarian to have such personal qualities as:

• good memory - helps you easily navigate the maze of racks and bookshelves;
• attentiveness and meticulousness are indispensable when compiling catalogs and filing cabinets;
• accuracy and responsibility are necessary when working with rare publications from library archives.

It should also be noted that since computer technologies are being actively introduced in modern libraries (including the digitization of library collections and catalogues), today a librarian must, in addition, have a penchant for self-development and mastering new skills and tools of librarianship.

Benefits of being a librarian

Main advantage librarian profession is the opportunity to communicate with many interesting people, as well as unlimited access to almost all sources of information, which allows library staff to develop not only from a professional point of view, but also on a personal level.

It is also worth mentioning that despite the fact that this profession is not very popular among applicants, it is, as before, one of the most respected in society.

The advantages of this profession include the high erudition of library staff and their ability to work with a large amount of information, which allows them to be in demand both in their specialization and in other areas of activity.

Disadvantages of being a librarian

There is an opinion that library employee all day long he does nothing but sit and read books. In fact, sometimes a librarian cannot sit down even for a couple of minutes, especially if the library is located in a multi-story building and the library collection is “scattered” across different floors. Therefore, the first disadvantage of this profession can be called heavy physical exertion. The second disadvantage is book dust, which sooner or later becomes the cause of allergies.

As mentioned above, librarians have to communicate with a huge number of readers every day, and, unfortunately, not all of them behave appropriately. High emotional and nervous tension is the third drawback. The fourth disadvantage can be considered small opportunities for career growth.

And most importantly, in our country librarians receive such a meager salary that it is barely enough even for the most necessary things. And this is perhaps the most significant drawback, which has a major impact on the constant decline in the popularity of this noble profession among applicants.

Where can I get a librarian profession?

To become a librarian It is not necessary to go to university. Future librarians can master this profession both in a specialized college or technical school, and in a higher educational institution that has the appropriate faculty. True, secondary specialized library education imposes certain restrictions on career advancement, since becoming the head of a department or an entire library is possible only with a higher education.

September 1st—beginning of the school year. Students and schoolchildren go to libraries in search of the necessary literature. And the librarians, in turn, are in a hurry to get to class. This is because people who do not have a specialized education often come to work in Russian libraries, driven by one feeling - the love of books. But you can’t last long on feelings alone, so you have to go learn. Those RSL employees who have decided to seriously and for a long time connect their lives with the library come to Higher Library Courses at the Training Center for Postgraduate and Additional Professional Education of the RSL. And each of them has their own story of entering the profession.

Three years ago, candidate of philological sciences Smita Sengupta graduated from the Higher Library Courses at the Russian State Library. “I have been working in the library for more than 15 years. And I got here in the following way. There was an exhibition at the Center for Oriental Literature organized by the Bangladesh Embassy. I worked there as a translator for the Ambassador. And on that day I was told that the collections kept books in Bengali (this is my native language), but there was no specialist to work with it. They offered to take care of them. I agreed and now I’m still working here.” Since then, Smita has managed to obtain a residence permit in Russia and a specialized library education. “My boss, Maria Emelyanovna, who always helped and guided me, said: “Smita, if you want to continue working in the library, go study.” And I went with my colleague.” The knowledge gained was useful when fulfilling non-standard requests from readers, when you need to find some rare book or work of a little-known author. “If earlier I relied on my logical thinking, now I know exactly the search methodology - how and what is faster and easier to find. Thanks to the courses for this."

Olya Izhbulatova, an employee of the Center for Eastern Literature of the Russian State Library, came to the library out of love for the Chinese language and Chinese literature.

“I recently went down to our storage and looked at the mountains of Chinese books lying there. It will take at least a year or two to sort this out. To be honest, my hands are itching.” Olya graduated from ISSA (Institute of Asian and African Countries at Lomonosov Moscow State University), has been working at the Russian State Library for a year and a half, and as a cataloguer at the Central Library for a month and a half. This year I entered the Higher Library Courses. From training he wants to gain knowledge about the preservation of documents, restoration and LBC tables. “We store very valuable publications and we need to understand how to handle them and maintain them in proper conditions. In the future, I would like to deepen my knowledge of the Chinese language and study other related languages. I want to become a first-class specialist."

The specificity of library work is such that it is quite difficult to work here without a specialized education, much less move up the career ladder. That is why a training center has been created in the Russian State Library, where everyone can study the intricacies of the library profession, improve their qualifications, or even advance science by enrolling in graduate school and defending a candidate or even doctoral dissertation. It is to this center that Olya will go to study on September 6th. She will be accompanied by about twenty other people - employees of the RSL and other Moscow libraries.

An interesting fact: initially, the librarian profession was taught only at the Russian State Library. IN 1920s years, various ideas for training employees of the then State Rumyantsev Museum of library specialization began to emerge and be put into practice, the foundations of course training and retraining were laid, and teaching methods were developed. Already in 1924, Higher Library Courses were created. And in 1930 - the Moscow Library Institute (later renamed the Moscow University of Culture and Art).

“I came to the library by accident. On a clear October day, walking along Mokhovaya, I saw a sign for the magazine “Library Affairs” on a house. Since at that time I was unemployed, I decided to just look into the HR department of the RSL and find out if they had any vacancies. They suggested going to the library services department of the new acquisitions reading room. I easily agreed. And now I’ve been working there for five years.” This is the story of Valentina Korenok, who, after her chance meeting with the library, decided not only to stay, but also to master a profession. She completed higher library courses two years ago. “Thanks to my studies, I began to have a more competent attitude to work and better understand the specifics of our library’s activities as a whole.”

You can get a diploma of higher library education if you go to study at a specialized university. Here is the story of the deputy head of the Training Center for Postgraduate and Additional Professional Education of the Russian State Library, Lidia Sergeevna Martynova. “My relative, Vasily Vasilyevich Serov, a prominent scientist, was Deputy Minister of Culture under Demichev. He graduated from the Moscow Library Institute. And when I was in 10th grade, he brought me to this university and took me through the classrooms. So I began to study library science. Graduated from graduate school. And then I went to work at the Patent and Technical Library. In 1968, when the research department opened, she came to the RSL.”

Nowadays, short-term courses in information and computer technologies (specializations “Microsoft Office XP”, “Library and Information Technologies”, “Library and Information Activities”) are the most popular among library employees. In 2010, about 220 people visited them. Considering the course taken by the Government of the Russian Federation towards computerization of the library environment, librarians are simply obliged to master the basic programs and services.

At the same time, there is also a reverse trend. IT specialists without library education are recruited to work at the RSL. And they, in turn, need to take specialized courses. Only in this way will these two groups, sometimes more like two warring camps, be able to build a constructive dialogue and productive joint work on the development of the Russian library system.

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The library contains books on various branches of knowledge, fiction, literature in 16 languages ​​- English, German, French, Swedish, Finnish, etc., publications distinguished by original printing, rare publications of the 16th - 19th centuries.
The rare book fund includes more than 20 thousand books published before 1946.

St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, Fundamental Library
The library's holdings exceed 2.6 million items.
Leading scientists of the institute, members of the library commission F.V. Levinson-Lessing, M.A. Pavlov, A.S. Posnikov, I.V. Meshchersky, I.M. Grevs and others took part in the creation of the library and the formation of its collections.

St. Petersburg State University, Scientific Library named after. M. Gorky
One of the oldest and largest libraries in Russia, it is a monument of national education, science and culture. In terms of the wealth and diversity of its holdings, it is on a par with the most famous university book depositories in the world. The collection contains 6.7 million volumes.

Siberian State Medical University, Scientific Medical Library
The only publicly accessible medical library in the Tomsk region, the largest specialized library in Siberia. The library's collection was based on a significant portion of books and journals collected at the departments of the medical institute and transferred from the library of Tomsk State University, the Dental Institute and the Tomsk Medical and Obstetric School.

Siberian State Technological University. Science Library
The Scientific Library (LB) of Siberian State Technical University is one of the largest libraries in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The richest collections of domestic and foreign literature number more than 1 million copies. The fund is compiled with the greatest chronological depth and completeness in the following sectors: forestry; forest industry; chemistry and chemical technology; biotechnology, ecology; wood processing; furniture manufacture; Informatics; Computer Engineering; robotics; economy; management; social work; humanitarian sciences.

Tver State Technical University, Zonal Scientific Library
The Zonal Scientific Library of Tver State Technical University is the largest scientific and technical library in the city of Tver and the Tver region.

Tver State University, Scientific Library
The library's book collection contains part of the library of Professor A.S. Orlova. These are publications on paleography, the history of cities and temples, and a bibliography of ancient Slavic and Russian literature.

In the era of postmodernism, the world is perceived as nothing other than a text written by everyone who has ever written anything - and today it is impossible to ignore a place whose colorfulness from this point of view is simply off the charts. We're talking about a university library. You need to visit it not only to hastily grab textbooks, plus something for an essay, plus something to read for yourself. No. The library is a powerful center of knowledge that requires respect and attention. This is an interesting phenomenon and worth studying. Finally, this is one of the criteria for choosing a university.

Library collections deny the current fashion for certain professions. So much information has been collected for each specialty that you can’t just get rid of all this information - you’ll have to research it and adapt it to modern times. For example, both in Russia and in other countries the opinion is being propagated from above that studying to become a lawyer is no longer relevant. Meanwhile, the university libraries of Bratislava (Slovakia), Wroclaw (Poland) and Reykjavik (Iceland) are acting as partners in the “Manuscriptorium” system, where digitized texts of documents published in Europe before 1800 are collected for legal scholars. For some reason this is necessary!

When choosing a university, find out how its library search system works. Thus, computer library programs at the University of Berlin allow you to search for books both in the university itself and in all scientific libraries in Berlin and Germany.

It’s great if an educational institution that interests you from time to time enters into agreements with libraries and other companies for access to certain electronic texts. Most often, these are publications in foreign scientific journals - and it is scientific journals that a future serious professional should focus on. But there are also light variants of cooperation. Thus, the Digital Distribution Center company provided the St. Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics with access to an electronic full-text collection of certain textbooks, and students of Yaroslavl University, thanks to the GALE library, could rummage through the electronic archive of “The Times” until June 20 ( 1785-1985). Working with textbooks cannot be avoided, and working with sources is always important for an independent-minded researcher.

What must be present in a university library

The university library does not necessarily have to enter into an agreement on access to articles and monographs with someone outside. She is able to take a “controlling stake” of information into her own hands and dispose of it at her own discretion. For example, the American Cornell University Library supports the so-called arXiv - a collection of scientific articles on physics and mathematics in electronic form.

The more new computers in the university library, the better. Let there be a whole computer park! It’s really good when the library itself has a website or at least a page on the university’s website. The website of the library of the famous Yale University is exemplary in this sense. There, information is updated about selections of rare illustrations of historical value. The online library of the Moscow State Technical University named after N. E. Bauman is no worse: here you have access to all the necessary catalogs and the ability to order the necessary scientific work.

You should not make the wealth of book collections dependent on the prestige of the university. In Kazakhstan there is Kyzylorda University, which seems to be provincial. From the Far Eastern Korean Pedagogical Institute, which was disbanded in the fateful 1937, this Kazakh university inherited a collection of books on rice paper saved by deported Koreans. And during the war, one university was evacuated here from Moscow and two from Ukraine, also along with libraries. Then people left, but the books - including striking bibliographic rarities - remained. So if you go to a university, say, somewhere in the Urals, which was one of the evacuation sites, then perhaps there are collections from several libraries left over from the war.

It is completely normal for a university to have several libraries - one for each faculty. Just make sure that they represent a system. For you, this means that if the library of one of the faculties did not find the book you need, let another faculty come to the rescue. Focus on the library of Harvard University (USA). This is a system of 94 institutions. Even a century ago there were “only” 37 of them.

Follow the Oxford Foundation's activities! Oxford knows a lot about book collections. If you find out that the Oxford Foundation has donated books to a particular Russian university, this means that English experts highly appreciated the university's library. Thus, the foundation recently made such gifts to Voronezh and Kazan universities.

The administration of Purdue University in the US state of Indiana decided to collect a collection of materials on aerospace topics in the university library. American astronaut Neil Armstrong, who visited the Moon in the late 60s, agreed to donate his personal archive to his home university. This is a good move on the part of the university - cooperation with alumni who have valuable archives. And the second good move is the decision to collect materials on an interesting topic. No one can limit the university library in such initiatives. If this does not happen at a university, and you are already planning to enroll there, do not weaken your activity yourself - both in acquiring a profession in general, and in student library work in particular.

A well-functioning library holds exhibitions and informs students about them - such as, for example, the libraries of the Siberian State Technological University and Novgorod State University. However, there is nothing wrong with telling people about library everyday life, as bloggers-employees of the libraries of the University of Pennsylvania and some other universities do; and the University Library of Illinois (USA) even maintains a library Twitter blog!

Mathematician N. I. Lobachevsky combined the post of rector of Kazan University and director of the university library. When choosing a university today, find out which scientists are involved in its library. It may turn out that scientists are separate, and the library is separate. And yet remember the example of Lobachevsky. Being a librarian is an important mission.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is entrusted with not just an academic library, but the National Library of Israel - the largest library in the countries of the Near and Middle East. There are over 5 million books, microfilms, incunabula (these are publications published before 1501); manuscripts in Hebrew, Russian, Arabic, Persian, Armenian and other languages; film archive; 400 personal archives - including the archives of G. Heine, F. Kafka, A. Einstein. It contains information about the Jewish people, collected all over the world by book enthusiasts. The development of this treasury is supported by Knesset law, but the law only records what is happening. And it is an example of an ideal active attitude towards the library. If you and your friends have ever been asked to replenish the school library, surely for someone this call was just a reason to get rid of unnecessary books? However, both school and university libraries can be treated not as consumerist and not careless, but actively. Once you study, start working, get back on your feet, head to the second-hand book dealers and make the library of your alma mater happy with rare volumes! Or purchase brand new academic publications and donate them to your home library.

The library of the Technical University in Delft (Netherlands) looks like a hill. There is grass growing on the roof, where you can sunbathe. And from there you can ride a bicycle (in summer) and sled (of course, in winter). If you are an esthete, the appearance of the book depository of your chosen university will be important to you. Is it ugly there? Enter the Moscow Architectural Institute and learn how to design libraries in person.

Bill Clinton met Hillary, his future wife, in the Yale University library. So, very interesting and useful acquaintances are possible in libraries!

Nothing human is alien not only to A.P. Chekhov, but also to libraries. Thus, the library of Trinity College, University of Dublin houses bagpipes from the 15th century.

“The socio-economic department of the university library has not heard anything about Hobbes’s Leviathan,” complains some blogger on the RuNet. What to do in such situations? Enroll in scientific libraries outside the university - the sooner the better: a student card will allow this. For those who want to someday become a graduate student, or simply write a good thesis, visiting scientific libraries is a must. If you strive to become a modern professional, you will have to spend time in the world's electronic libraries on the Internet and read literature, including in foreign languages. And purchase your favorite books in serious bookstores for personal use.

At the moment, the outdated library as a social institution is losing its relevance. However, others are emerging or old ones are being rehabilitated into completely new social enterprises and cultural institutions. Currently, a librarian or, as this profession is called in the language of the professionals of this organization, a specialist in library and information activities, must be able to not only arrange books on shelves. This is a whole system of work and responsibilities that include the latest information technologies and projects.

Let's figure out what library and information activities are. How can a specialist with such a diploma work?

Introduction to the profession

Management of library and information activities by specialists in this field, coupled with innovative technologies being introduced into modern libraries, information and cultural centers, makes it possible to open access to the most valuable exhibits for visitors. And these are sometimes historically important and especially protected documents, funds and materials, which can now be easily accessed by ordinary library visitors using the latest information technologies.

Where to go to study?

In our country, the specialty “Library and Information Science” can be obtained in more than 40 universities, institutes and academies. Among them:

• Moscow State and Capital Linguistic University.
• Arctic State Institute of Arts and Culture.
• Tyumen State Academy of Culture, Arts and Social Technologies.
• named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin.

Basics of training

• methodical;
• teaching;
• information and analytical;
• scientific research;
• organizational and managerial;
• cultural and educational;
• design and expert;
• psychological and pedagogical.

What is the job?

The main task of the work is the formation, processing and classification of information and documentary funds, as well as ensuring their complete safety and organizing their recovery or restoration.

The main work of a library and information specialist is as follows:

• implementation of information diagnostics and modeling, that is, information and analytical processing of information;
• research into the qualities of information resources, their adjustment and processing;
• identification and evaluation of innovative experience;
• work and study of consumers of information and library resources;
• design and implementation, that is, the specific implementation of services for users of these resources;
• development of innovative projects for this environment to improve the provision of user services, as well as internal social partnerships.

Prospects

Many students ask the question when they enroll in the Department of Library and Information Science: “Who can I work with such a diploma?”

Having become a specialist in this field, you can find a job suitable for your profession in:

• libraries;
• cultural and leisure centers;
• information and information-analytical centers and agencies;
• teaching;
• publishing houses and editorial offices;
• multimedia centers.

But, of course, a certified specialist with a higher education obtained in the “Library and Information Activities” profile will know exactly who to work with. Almost all higher educational institutions have the practice of selecting a place for further work after study for each student interested in this.

Subjects of study of students

The professional standard for library and information activities involves training in subjects such as:

• library science;
• bibliography;
• library journalism;
• library ethics;
• document management;
• information systems and technologies;
• Informatics;
• social communications;
• in scientific and technical activities;
• foreign languages;
• theory and history of literature;
• children's literature and reading;
• quality management;
• philosophy;
• history and some others.

The specific set of subjects depends on the student’s chosen educational profile.

Example

For example, a specialist in the training profile “Library and information work with children and youth” will:

• Anthropology of Childhood training line;
• participation in folklore and ethnographic expeditions;
• increasing the degree of education in the course "Theory of Children's Literature and Methodology of Children's Reading", as well as much more.

Educational programs

Educational programs and profiles for which specialists are trained in the field of “Library and Information Activities”:

1. Technologies of automated library and information resources.

In this profile, students study:

• consistency of information flow in the social environment;
• basic rules for the operation of information systems and networks;
• in all types of its manifestations;
• deep understanding of document flows in the library field, as well as the entire available collection and various areas of library activity.

A trained specialist with such skills and abilities will easily be able to work with full automation of library technologies using multimedia tools.

2. Management and management of these resources for the innovative development of scientific and technical activities of libraries.

Professionals of this profile are engaged in:

• management and management of information resources (documents, materials and funds of libraries or other specialized institutions);
• information support of innovative projects;
• creation of the social communication sphere of the organization.

3. Book communications in the professional sphere.

An important additional advantage of such a specialist will be his skills in working with rare and handwritten books, which are especially valuable among collectors.

Studying in this profile will prepare students for:

• organizations and bookstores;
• legal and legal standards for the activities of the above organizations.

Such a library and information specialist will have practical skills in book design and design, both internal and external. As well as the ability to determine the exact price of antique and second-hand publications without errors, skills in working with auction book catalogs.

4. Management and management of library and information activities.

After mastering the program of this profile, mid- and senior-level specialists are obtained - the elite of the library world. This direction can be called very important and responsible, since the practical environment of a professional’s activity will be:

• planning the daily activities of a library institution, as well as long-term management and management of organizations of this profile;
• work with structural divisions of such institutions;
• practical work with personnel;
• a complete understanding of the individual activities of libraries and similar organizations.

Thus, such a graduate is a generalist in his profession and can find work in the field of management, culture, education, and social communications.

5. Information and analytical profile of activities.

Assumes that a specialist in the field of library and information activities:

• knows methods of analysis and correlation of information;
• is able to identify cause-and-effect contacts and factors in the development of complex situations.

During training, students develop forecasting and analytical skills, the ability to provide information support for professional activities, and to manage information resources of various institutions.

Within this profile, there are two actual directions for students: in the field of fiction and in the socio-economic field.

6. Library and information activities with children and youth. These are specialists in the theory of children's literature and the culture of children's reading. It is also a popular activity.

7. Library and information activities providing information consumers are mainly future organizers and technologies for promoting and expanding reading among the population. Here, the main thing in professional study is a complex of pedagogical, psychological and socio-communicative knowledge and skills.

Highly qualified specialists in this activity help potential and established readers of information resources to form their social status through the culture of reading, broaden their horizons, and go through the stages of reader socialization.

Cipher

A special code is provided for each specialty. The code for this specialty is 03/51/06 “Library and information activities”.

Information Technology

A specialist in the field of library activities will have to master the latest information and innovative technologies related to this profession. Information technologies for library activities of these specialists consist of several points:

• providing consumers with access to necessary resources via the Internet both remotely (from another city, for example) and in the library itself;
• entering all library collections and documents into a special database (scanning, digitization) for further sale to visitors as an object not natural, but digitized, which ultimately helps preserve and restore archival funds, documents and materials;
• the use of advertising, PR technologies and PR events in the work of a modern library;
• using the latest information technologies and gadgets to interest consumers (including children and youth) in library and information resources.