Transformation or modernization: what to choose for libraries

Abstract

The paper presents a vision of the problem of changing modern libraries and defining their mission under the influence of the requirements of the emerging in-formation society. The main provisions of legislative acts in the field of culture, education, and librarianship in recent years allow us to assert that the mission of libraries is humanistic. However, the purpose of libraries is very vague in these documents. This leads to a discussion in the environment of the library community. Increasingly, there is a shift in library activity towards over-activation of cultural and leisure activities or digitalization. College libraries usually focus on the introduction of computer and telecommunication technologies, networking between libraries, the replenishment of electronic resources for information support of science and education, with-out paying due attention to the promotion and education process, which is humanistic in nature and is a part of education.It is emphasized that the radical transformation of libraries' activities proposed by V. K. Stepanov will lead to their disappearance. For further successful development of libraries, it is necessary to modernize, modernize, based on the understanding of the humanistic mission of the library. The list of priority measures that will help to increase the role of libraries in society and implement their humanistic mission is given.