All-Russia Forum “University Libraries #followus”

On October 13, 2020, the All-Russia Forum “University Libraries #followus” opened at Tomsk Polytechnic University International Center coinciding with the 120-th anniversary of TPU Sci-tech Library. The forum is organized by the academic libraries of TPU’s and Tomsk State University’s research institutes. Up to October 16, experts from all over Russia will be discussing merging library services, digitalization trends, and professional competence development. .
The Forum participants were greeted by A. V. Vasilyev, Director of Tomsk State University Scientific Library, A. E. Guskov, Director of RAS SB State Public Scientific and Technological Library, V. Yu. Kurpakov, Director of Publishing and Library Center at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, and N. N. Kvelidze-Kuznetsova, Director of Fundamental Library of A. I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University. On the Forum first day, the participants were discussing the issues of library transformation, information technologies and pandemic impact on libraries and library services.
At the Forum opening ceremony, Alexander S. Karaush, Director General of the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology delivered his paper “IT realities in libraries. Current occupational standards”. He emphasized that in the recent years more librarians were familiarizing themselves with technological trends in the IT-sphere, and the librarians were keeping competent during the period of the libraries’ converging with IT-systems and formats. Alexander Karaush pointed to the most significant IT-vectors libraries should follow i. e. copyright issues, personal data safety, resource age marking and linked data technology.