Library and society: Contemporary challenges

Abstract

This collection presents current themes in the field of modern libraries and their users, united under a common title: “Library and Society: Contemporary Challenges.” The texts have already been published in different Bulgarian sources. They are now published in English in this edition with minor changes. The included publications present the author’s interest in contemporary problems and challeng- es facing the library community. The lecture format is intentional, as it gives the opportunity for the edition to be used for work with an audience of students. The lectures are accompanied by presentations in English that are not part of this collection. The topics of the lectures are as follows: • Technology and the human factor in the formula for effective- ness of the modern library • The role of users in the preservation of cultural heritage • The attitude of libraries towards users determines the present and the future of the institution • The value of the library in the modern dimensions of the in- stitution and its personnel • The library – a space for communication between people and cultures The first two lectures, in terms of duration, can be combined into one 90-minute lecture. The rest have the same duration on their own. The objective of the author is to present her ideas and share her thoughts about the current state of libraries with a wider and non-spe- cialised audience. The contradiction in the state of libraries today in Bulgaria, and to some extent in the world – the discrepancy between the great importance of libraries in the age of knowledge society and their actual use in the physical and virtual environment – is interesting, but it has not been studied and explained in sufficient detail. Attention to the library institution has been reduced; funding has decreased; various restrictions have been applied; interest in the library profes- sion among young people has critically declined; library personnel around the world is ageing – these are only some of the acute prob- lems of the library sector in Bulgaria, but also, to a different degree, in other countries around the world. The author upholds the position that libraries remain treasures unjustifiably underutilised by modern generations. For too many people subordinated to and obsessed with the technological acquisitions of the 21st century, they are an undis- covered and unappreciated source of knowledge and information. The presented topics can be of interest to a diverse audience from academia and beyond. Eli Popova