"VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY!”

The Russian Library Association (RLA) website is currently hosting the, "Voice of the Community," project — an open platform designed to gather feedback regarding key issues facing the library sector. Library professionals are invited to share their views on the most pressing challenges that libraries encounter today.

Preliminary analysis of the submitted feedback has highlighted a number of critical topics of concern to the professional community:

library collection development and the need for methodological guidance when handling, "sensitive literature," (publications by "foreign agents," extremist materials, etc.);

issues related to the regulatory and legal framework governing library operations;

personnel challenges: staff shortages, professional development needs, and low wage levels;

the physical and technical condition of libraries: underfunding, as well as issues regarding building maintenance and preservation;

excessive reporting requirements and inflated statistical metrics;

the organization of reader-focused events, taking into account the specific socio-cultural, infrastructural, and demographic characteristics of the country's various regions.

The response from the library community has demonstrated a high level of interest in engaging in open professional dialogue.

Work on the project is ongoing. Library professionals may submit their feedback via the online form available on the official RLA website: https://www.rba.ru/news/feedback/.