Professional training of future library specialists in the era of digital Transformation

Abstract

The article focuses on the educational preparation of future library specialists in the context of digital transformation. It argues that modern librarianship requires new approaches to professional training that combine technological proficiency, pedagogical competence, and ethical responsibility. The study, based on historical-comparative and analytical methods, traces the evolution of the librarian’s professional ideal from antiquity to the present to identify elements that remain relevant for contemporary education. The results show that digitalization has transformed libraries into multifunctional learning spaces where specialists act as educators, mediators, and data curators. Consequently, university programs in library and information science must integrate digital literacy, user-centered communication, and media education into their curricula. The research concludes that the future of librarianship depends on the quality of education that prepares specialists not only to manage information resources but also to guide society in critical and ethical engagement with knowledge.