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Andragogy: virtual learning environment for librarians
Start date: Sep 1, 2015, End date: Aug 31, 2017 PROJECT  FINISHED 

According to IFLA and UNESCO Public Library Manifest (1994) in libraries people get supported for individual learning and self-education as well as all levels of formal education. It is important to improve the library – librarian – community –connection. It can be reached through: (1) introduction of information and communications technologies (ICT), (2) improvement of andragogical competencies with integrated English language learning aids, including lifelong learning, meta-learning, peer-training, self-learning and collaborative learning skills, (3) employment of all these skills while transferring knowledge to community. Lithuanian, Latvian and Bulgarian libraries during a period of 2006-2001 have strengthened their technical base – high-speed Internet connection, Wi-Fi, computer rooms, other IKT and organisational technology. With a help of previously mentioned subjects libraries are able to provide society with non-formal education and consulting services. Libraries are seeking to establish themselves not only as centres of culture and information but as non-formal education organisations in their communities. Therefore it is essential to stress both qualification and competences of specialists-librarians, working in the infrastructure, if providing non-formal education services. To successfully compete with other participants of non-formal education market librarians need andragogy competences. Librarians must have in-depth knowledge of psychological peculiarities, forms and methods as well as study-flow organising aspects for adult learning, get acquainted with already developed open-source educational resources. Lithuanian, Latvian and Bulgarian librarians day-to-day work problems suppose project‘s goal – to strengthen librarians‘ andragogical competences. This achievement would later allow the libraries to become organisations providing quality non-formal education services in their communities. The goals of the project are: 1. To create a virtual andragogy learning environment for librarians who engage in knowledge transfer communication with clients; 2. To strengthen educational and andragogy competences of librarians with a use of developed product (e.g. virtual learning environment, study programs) in countries executing the project; 3. To apply not yet used and innovative tools for delivery of materials in order to create conditions that would ensure an involvement of participants during the learning process, give opportunity to shape the content of studies, allow to enrich study program with real-life cases, suggestions, allow participants to communicate and cooperate with each other, learn from one another. Thus far andragogy learnings were conducted in fragmentary manner while giving short-term sessions (realized in a traditional way while holding meetings); 4. To ensure continuous rise of librarians‘ qualification with a use of virtual learning environment, and motivate librarians to become andragogy mentors for other specialists. After reaching the goals, the virtual andragogy learning environment will be translated into other partner-countries languages and English language, in order to intensify its spread and usage in international community of librarians. In this way also providing an opportunity to learn not only in mother-tongue, but excel in English. Andragogy course and virtual learning environment intend to have tools and functions that would encourage a formation of international librarians‘ andragogy community and sharing of experience, ensure self-learning, lifelong learning and qualification hoisting processes. With a use of professionally developed system librarians would be able to communicate with each other, share their experience, search for partners for andragogy matters, fill information, and share relevant material. The problem, goal and tasks of the project are directly related to interests of target groups: 1. Librarians who are interested in obtaining the librarian-andragogist competence, for a purpose of enriching their culture-worker competences portfolio with andragogy competences; 2. It is important for partner-countries libraries to anchor themselves as non-formal education organisations and take the niche market in non-formal adult education; 3. Community as library‘s users have a stakeholder interest to receive free of charge, quality cultural and non-formal education service in every nearby library. The international level in this project allows to share and assimilate specificities of foreign partners operational activities, to take partner-countries libraries‘ and educational institutions‘ experience in an adult education field. The three countries are not equally advanced in andragogy studies field; there is an uneven spread of andragogical practises and application methods from country to country.

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