50. évfolyam, 2004. 1. szám

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In connection with the training in LIS in the USA, it has been observed that the current training programs do not provide the written communication skills required in the everyday work of librarians. There are only a few training institutions that offer relevant courses. According to many, students do not acquire appropriate writing skills during their training, and even those who are able to write well will not have the opportunity to gain the necessary experience for their prospective career in the LIS area.

Developing writing skills should be part of the teaching of research methodologies. The traditional approach according to which those graduates who have gained experience of a specific research area also have acquired the necessary skills to publish articles or scientific works must be rejected. Research and publishing the outcomes of research are tightly connected. Librarians are not exempt from this requirement. They are not only working with scientific literature, but they are mediating it to other users and from time to time they are publishing articles themselves.

Fortunately there are a few good examples of courses designed specifically for developing writing skills. But knowing the issues of LIS training in Hungary, not to mention the entire Hungarian higher education system, the massive availability of such courses seems to be a utopia. However, such training could be included in the system of further training of librarians. Practicing librarians should be able to write at least two types of documents: grant proposals and reports. Plenty of details and useful tips are provided in connection with these two types of documents.

Országos Széchényi Könyvtár Észrevételek