A Professional Standard for Librarians

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation was published for librarians and the professional standard, “Library and Information Activities Specialist,” has been approved. The document was prepared by specialists of the federal and regional libraries, representatives of the field of vocational education, the Russian library association, and the development center for professional qualifications of the Ministry of Labor of Russia. The standard is aimed at developing professional competencies for library personnel in the context of modernization of the industry and the digital transformations of the entire library and information service system, improving the efficiency of libraries as multifunctional information and cultural and educational complexes. It, in particular, contains: characteristics of labor function and requirements for the level of education and experience expected. In general, a professional standard is a new, modern, and innovative qualification characteristic. The standard comes into force on March 1, 2023, and will be valid until March 1, 2029.