Libraries and society: Russian school libraries to be united in the national network

The national network of school libraries with a single catalog of literature and the general distribution system of teaching methods will be created in Russia, according to the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. 

The Ministry is developing the Concept of a national network of information and library centers of educational institutions, which should include an analysis of the current state of information and library centers, recommendations on the modernization of information and library centers, development of the model provision of information and library centers, as well as proposals on the institutional arrangements necessary for creating a national network of information-library centers, and the main event is the creation of a single federal information and methodological center.

Such Center will support school libraries in modern techniques, including teaching methods and teaching materials for teachers and will form requirements for training programs for school libraries and school administration. In addition, a single federal information-methodical center will lead a unified catalog of literature with the general system of cards that will save school librarians from duplicating the work of cataloging the book funds and comprehensively accompany the modernization process at the expense of counseling, monitoring and shaping the requirements for the development of libraries.

The first step in the modernization of school libraries will be the development of the concept, which will describe an image of the national network of school libraries. Then it will be developed an action plan for its implementation. Modernization itself will begin in 2016 and will be financed, including the expense of the federal target program of education development for 2016-2020.