The staff of the libraries in the European North of Russia in 1950-1960-ies (on the example of the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions)

During the 1950-1960-ies the composition of the readers of the mass libraries changed in the direction of increasing the number of people with higher and secondary special education. In accordance with this process, the professional level of library workers was raised, traditional forms were developing and new forms of cultural and educational work were introduced. The purpose of this study is to identify the dynamics of the staffing of the mass libraries of the European North of Russia on the example of the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions, as well as the reception of the library personnel training system, the definition of means to improve the level of education and qualifications of library staff. The source base for the research were the archive (data of the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the State Archive of Arkhangelsk region, Department of documents of socio-political history of the State Archives of the Arkhangelsk, Region State Archives of Vologda Region, Vologda regional archive of the newest political history) and published sources. The complex of office documentation and materials of state statistics provide extensive information about the research problem. The use of data from statistical reports and information from regional cultural administrations, reports from the regional libraries and cultural and educational institutions provided an opportunity to disclose questions about the training, number and composition of the staff of the library staff in education, on improving the work of rural cultural and educational institutions (ideological, theoretical and methodological assistance to the district and rural librarians) and forms of continuing education for library staff. The documents with readers' reviews about the work of librarians are of great interest. Involvement of periodicals for the research allowed to demonstrate the process of development of staff potential of the corresponding library institution. The data about the number and level of education of librarians is presented. It is found out that in the region a system of library personnel training was established, the number of which on the beginning of 1970s exceeded 1 thousand people both in the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions. At the same time, most of them were concentrated in the libraries of the Ministry of Culture system, of which more than half of the workers worked in the countryside of the region. The article concludes that during the period under study the number of specialists of medium qualification increased, including the number of workers with special library education has increased. At the same time, they were not sufficiently prepared, often changed. Governing bodies and regional libraries in the 1950s-1960-s initiated various forms of librarians' studies: regional meetings, methodical conferences, district seminars, course preparation was conducted, which became a means of operational management of the librarianship.

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