The Implementation of Standards in Special Libraries in Serbia

Abstract

The presentation outlines the most important initiatives aimed at improving the status of special libraries in Serbia. In the Serbian library ecosystem, the concept of special libraries is rather vague. In practice and common usage, the term ‘special libraries’ covers the libraries that are part of public, cultural and research institutions, as well as business organizations. At the same time, the current Law on the Library and Information Service in the Republic of Serbia recognizes the libraries that are part of research organizations as a distinct type of libraries. This is reflected in the Rulebook on the National Standards for Performing the Library Service, where distinct sets of standards are defined for each library type identified in the law. In practice, the standards (in terms of facilities, information and documentation infrastructure, the number of staff, staff education and competencies, etc.) are rarely met and there is no enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance with the standards. Possible solutions could include a more pragmatic approach to defining library standards – e.g. standards based on specific library profiles and services, and not merely on the legal status of individual library types; frequent revisions of the standards that are not necessarily associated with the revisions of the LIS law; and periodic compliance evaluations, the results of which would be publicly available.