Professional standard «Specialist in library and information activities»: structure, possible application

Abstract

The issues of elaborating the professional standard «Specialist in library and information activities » as a normative and technological document regulating the processes of development and use of the personnel potential of the industry are considered. The article reveals the relevance of the document in the context of modern tasks facing the library and information sphere. Conceptual and methodological approaches to the development of the standard and the definition of its functional boundaries are analyzed.The features of the development of a line of professional standards for library and information activities based on the differentiated approach are considered. The expediency of the integrated approach as a more rational one in the current conditions of professional standardization of library and information activities is substantiated.The functional and logical structure of the professional standard and its correlation with the functional structure of the industry is presented.The semantic series underlying the document decomposition is given. The list of generalized labor functions is given with the rationale for the definition as the title – «Library and information services for users». The author also substantiates separation of library and information services for children, library and information services for persons with disabilities, formation and promotion of local history library and information resources as independent labor functions.The importance of representing labor actions and skills in the field of libraries information and analytical activities, in particular, checking for borrowings, conducting bibliometric analysis and monitoring, and working with open access resources, is emphasized. The significance of combining information technology and humanitarian components in the list of necessary knowledge for the modern librarian is pointed out. The names of new positions of library specialists, requirements for their education, training and work experience are given. In the conclusion, the role of the professional standard as the basis for the certification of library personnel, the development of their professional competencies and the level of qualifications is determined. It is substantiated that the professional standard is the tool for the rational use of library personnel, the improvement of all links in the system of continuous library and information education and the implementation of the state library personnel policy.