Transformation of employees' competences in implementing changes in modern scientific libraries

Анотація

As there are changes in today's needs of the information society, the development of information technologies, the information behavior of scientists, the habits of information processing and its management in modern scientific libraries form their unique, atypical and constantly changing functions. This forces scientific libraries to take on new roles while ensuring the stability of their traditional roles. The vision for the future of the academic library is to become an academic partner from the service provider [1]. Preparation of employees for doing the right job is becoming more and more important and challenging. The combination of individual self-expression, knowledge and skills undoubtedly contributes to the successful implementation of changes, therefore it is important to focus on and distinguish significant employee competencies to ensure organizational goals.

In recent decades academic libraries conditioned by the changes happening in information society have fundamentally changed their activities: reorganize structures, carry out reorganization in collections, improve information search systems, organize open access to scientific resources, redistribute budget priorities, expand collaboration with academic community, organize the training and participate in the training process, focus on employee learning, implementation and adaptation of new technologies, conduct scientific research, constantly improve services.

The role of today's scientific libraries is not limited to the diversity of book collections and the ways in which they are stored, they play an active role in building technology and knowledge infrastructures. It is now more evident that the functions of libraries' dissemination of information, accessibility, storage and social functions are crucial. "In the age of technology, the availability of information streams and the efficiency of their processing are becoming critical criteria for determining the quality and attractiveness of libraries" [2]. The abundance and variety of exploring scientific research sources are equally important for their availability and presentation. Therefore, the transformation of library staff from a curator of publications to a high-tech specialist or IT consultant in modern scientific libraries is an inevitable phenomenon.

Having done the systematic analysis of scientific literature [3-7], the article presents the refined competencies of library employees as a result of changes in library activities and necessary for their successful implementation (see Table).
Taking into account that organizational intelligence is one of the main guarantees of the quality of activities, which ensures the possibility to implement organizational changes, such competencies as personal knowledge, skills (abilities) and personal qualities (internal readiness) are necessary for implementing library changes. It can be noted that the greatest success of change implementation is determined by the skills (abilities) and personal qualities of the employees. This demonstrates that the library staff should be flexible, operational, tolerant, able to successfully develop their skills, and effectively apply other personal qualities to prepare for changes in the organization.

Table 1. Necessary staff competencies to implement library changes

Knowledge

• Professional; Knowledge of technology
• Management of information resources
• Organized management of information resources
• Practical application of advanced technologies
• Budget management
• Management of information and communication

Interest in scientific communication trends

Abilities (skills)

• Academic perceptivity; Development of activity projects
• Analyzing digital systems; Planning change
• Ability to recognize and characterize information environment features
• Integration into educational and scientific research processes
• Planning and coordination of activities
  • · Conducting trainings for student information education
  • Ability to acquire information and manage its content
  • Communication
  • Guidance on political and legal issues
  • Integration of library information into study processes
  • Management and coordination of electronic resources
  • Ability to work in a team
  • Creating the most acceptable and comfortable conditions for the users working with information
  • Ability to negotiate; Development of operating methods
  • Integration of new planned activities
  • Understanding and applying digital systems
  • Information search engine development
  • Developing a library training program

Management of organization’s knowledge

Personal qualities

• Perssistence; Flexibility
• Creativity; Promptness
• Curiosity Discretion
• Social networking
• Analytical and logical thinking
• Tolerance to change
• Optimism; Realization of consumer claims
• Leadership; Enthusiasm
• Self-confidence; Confidentiality

Librarians are skillful creators of information and knowledge, users and organizers who can make an effective contribution to science and learning when operating effectively. This can be seen in the library employees’ distinguished functional, managerial, organizational, negotiation (communication, cooperation), education, coordination (planning, integration), understanding and analysis of digital systems, development of projects and methodologies, and data analysis and evaluation abilities. The knowledge of the library staff was detailed based on the main knowledge groups, i.e. professional, theoretical, technological, management, scientific communication, digital systems. It is almost certain that in recent decades changes in libraries have created new concepts of librarians' erudition.

Knowledge such as technological, digital systems and, to some extent, scientific communication were certainly not on the list of key competencies of the traditional library staff. This proves the fundamental transformation of library staff competence in an inclusive digital environment.

In conclusion, it could be stated that changes of activities in academic libraries initiate changes in staff competences - in the context of changes, there is a need for the staff to develop new or existing competences that are attributed to skill and knowledge, and personal qualities groups. It is these competences that need to be strengthened, since only a combination of them will lead to successful implementation of change.