Library Highway: Library Professionals as Agents of Changes

Eglė Audzeviciüte,Ina Puzakinaite,Jurgita Rudzioniene

doi:10.15612/bd.2013.129

Abstract

The main aim of the article is to find out how the professional public librarians have changed during last decades of huge changes in public libraries. Specialists which have long professional work experience as public librarians were selected for this research. Due to this, the empirical research was performed. The research points out professional and personal changes of librarians due to modernization processes at the library as social institution acting in information and communication field. Quantitative research was used to fulfill the task of the research. Questionnaire was created for the research and was used to survey the librarians of selected libraries. Research reports the results of the study based on the data derived from actual observation of several Lithuanian public libraries and their librarians, who have their work experience at the library more than 10 years. Five public libraries which have won competition of the best public libraries in Lithuania according to their results were chosen (competition was arranged in the frame of the project ”Bibliotekos pažangai” (Libraries for Innovation) initiated by Bill & and Melinda Gates Foundation. The research consists of several steps. Selection of libraries was made at the first step. The second step of the research was to choose librarians from selected libraries with indicated work experience. The third step was to make a quantitative study. For this purpose a special questionnaire was created. The research results indicate professional and personal changes of public librarians due to intensive Information technologies development at the libraries and show professional librarians as agents of changes.

Highlights

All human activities are based on information
The research performed at the 5 Lithuanian public libraries, which were recognized as the best public libraries according to the project “Bibliotekos pažangai” (Libraries for Innovation) which has running for Lithuanian public libraries by Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian National Martynas Mažvydas Library and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2007-2012) was anonymous and gave very clear and opened results
Research was focused on library specialists, which professional work experience at the public libraries was more that 10 years

Summary

Introduction

All human activities are based on information. Libraries as information and communication institutions play an important role in our society. Library provides all necessary privileges – each member of society can have access to a wide range of information and communication materials and services. Redesigning library activities in the 21st century is a challenge and a must. Significant changes occurred during the last decades in the whole information and communication sector, and libraries are not the exception. We are dealing with the new generation libraries and we need new generation librarians. What is the story and opinion of those professional specialists, who had seen the whole evolution of changes in libraries during last decades and have taken their active participation in it changing the library from old fashioned one to a modern today’s information and communication institution?

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion