Abstract:

We live in extremely dynamic times in which the knowledge and skills acquired through formal education are no longer sufficient for professional careers in almost all sectors. This also applies to library and information professionals around the world. The forms of work in library institutions are changing and it is necessary to acquire new knowledge. Continuing education is an opportunity to develop the skills and competencies that allow successful professional development.

The need for well-developed vocational education and training in Bulgaria as part of the policies and practices for lifelong learning is determined by the constantly transforming requirements of modern society. The significant changes that have taken place in recent decades are also related to the need for full and professional education for effective socialization, social realization, and social mobility as well as for the functioning of society in general. Education in this form also performs numerous social tasks, including uniting society through shared values, strengthening the activity of all learners, increasing the role of knowledge and literacy in the process of social choice, helping to build a knowledge-based society.

The report presents the state of vocational education and training in Bulgaria. The activity of the Center for Vocational Training (CVT) at ULSIT is presented. The main purpose of the report is to consider the possibility of creating courses in bibliotherapy, which will be extremely useful for colleagues in the library sector who graduated a few years ago. This is a good chance to incorporate new content from the field of bibliotherapy into the vocational training environment along the other existing vocational education programmes at the CVT enriching and adding different insightful ideas and modern ways of implementation which could be considered as a way of upgrading their professional skills.

The results of an online survey conducted among librarians from various library institutions in Bulgaria, who graduated before the year 2000 are presented. The results take into account the interest in a bibliotherapy course of studies and the need to acquire knowledge about the use of bibliotherapy in a library environment (community centers, schools, regional and other libraries). Respondents emphasize the need for high quality educational programs and products to ensure a higher quality of their training in the relevant field of modern knowledge and activities. In addition, they consider the possibility to receive good continuing vocational education corresponding to the dynamic changes as a key for the good professional realization.

Keywords:

Continuing Vocational Education, bibliotherapy, survey, ULSIT, Bulgaria.