Development of the National Standard “Library and Information Services”: Problems and Solutions

Abstract

The article is devoted to the topical subject of standardization, which is one of the development drivers. The author presents definition of the concept Standardization, reveals its value and management procedure in relation to library activity. The article describes the development of new Standard “Library and Information Services”, launched in 2017 at the Center for Study of the Development of Libraries in the Information Society of the Russian State Library. It is important to note that this type of library and information activities has never been standardized in international and national standards. The purpose of the Standard is to streamline the terminology system of library and information services, to revise and adjust term definitions and to reflect new terms related to information and communication technologies. The need to develop firstly the terminology of library and information services is associated with ambiguity of interpretation of most terms.The author presents the structure of the standard, considers the problems and discussions arisen at its creation and connected with ambiguous understanding of the basic term, of the concepts of “type” and “form” of library and information services. The author describes the sequence of development of the standard, names the terms reflecting the use of modern information and communication technologies in library and information services, indicates the libraries and higher educational institutions of culture, which most actively participated in the discussion of Standard and offered their comments. The article considers observations and proposals contained in the reviews of Standard, presents some accepted and rejected terms, as well as provides quantitative characteristics of the accepted, partially accepted and rejected remarks.The standard can be used for reference, as it captures modern understanding of the terms of library and information services, in planning, reporting and forecasting; it will facilitate the correct exchange of professional terminology among members of the professional community. Terms and definitions of the basic concepts of library and information services are intended for use by employees of library institutions, as well as by employees of scientific and technical information services.