The Library Institute’s education and training activity from September 2019 to June 2022

Abstract

From January 2020, the legal framework for adult education has undergone radical changes in Hungary, and the changes have also had a major impact on the system of vocational education and training in libraries. Following a brief description of the new European Action Programme for Adult Education, the author presents the legislative background in Hungary, as in addition to the professional training in the library field, continuing education and competence development activities in libraries have also been brought within the scope of the law. In addition to organisation, the changes impose on libraries serious tasks that they have not carried out until now: knowledge of and compliance with the new body of legislation, documentation and electronic obligations. The paper goes on to describe the process of change in the training of assistant librarians, and then examines the possibilities for further training in the field of librarianship in Hungary and abroad, supplemented by tables of relevant information. It also points out that the greatest challenge to the organisation of training courses in the period under review was the pandemic of the coronavirus and its consequences, which also had a significant impact on cross-border training. It concludes with a summary of the vision for the future, the most important aspect of which is to ensure that the training offer meets the challenges of the library profession and the professional needs of librarians.