Maria Kocójowa The education of library and information science leaders in Poland: the hopes, needs and choices of LIS educators
	Institute of Librarianship and Information Science, Jagiellonian University
	This article was translated thanks to the grant received from the Open Society Institute

1. LIS leaders' lobby in today's information society

In the developed countries, a lot of consideration is given to initiatives and activities of library and information science (LIS) leaders, to qualifications of library managers, professionals and academic teachers involved in the development of modern electronic information agendas. The late 20th and early 21st century movement towards building an information society adds more importance to the issue, above all, in the context of developing Information Technology Communication (ITC) [http://www.cordis.lu/ist/home.html; http://www.ideal-ist.net/ and http://www.kbn.gov.pl/VPR/info/ue.html]. Recently, an international school of Information and Communication Technology [http://dit.unitn.it/] was founded in Trent, Italy. There have been reports in the media about large sums of money being spent on improving the quality of LIS education in some countries. The strongest response to the needs of librarianship came from the United States, where several millions of dollars in funding were promised for this goal, as reported by the daily electronic news of a key American journal, The Chronicles of Higher Education. ^[1]

In Poland, actions of this kind are just beginning to emerge. For example, the Ministry of National Education and Sport (MENS) supports library automation through, among others, Interklasa, a program led by Parliament member Grazyna Staniszewska [http://www.men.waw.pl/]. School libraries or local groups (consisting of special task groups, consortia, Association of Polish Libraries, etc.) are joining forces to defend their rights. Furthermore, specially funded international programs, like Public Libraries Mobilising Advanced Network are being founded^[2]. There have been approvals of some promising projects and substantial funds for 2004-2006 regional and local infrastructure reforms, addressing issues of entrepreneurship, human resources or local development [http://www.malopolskie.pl/], also within the 5th and 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission Community Research [http://www.cordis.lu/fp5/]. The opportunities for further development available through government and regional EU structural funds [http://europa.eu.int/information_society/index_en.htm] should not be wasted.

The question that is becoming more important is that of increasing the number of library professionals in Poland in order to motivate librarians to be better entrepreneurs, to seek higher qualifications, to make them „more visible in the society"^[3], to increase user satisfaction, and to establish international partnerships, especially, within the EU context. After all, in fulfilling the key objectives of information services, fast network connections will be useless if there will be no professional information to transmit through them and if there won't be effective support with information retrieval. It is this purpose of information services, a crucial element of permanent learning, which should be taught in LIS studies. The pace of further development of sciences, culture and economics for the benefit of all humanity depends on the society's understanding of this reality.

As a result, discussions are multiplying on the quality of libraries and information services, resource and personnel management, as well as, lifelong learning, an obligation of every professional librarian working in the "society of self-learners" of our time^[4].

Institutions of higher education play the most important role in the development of LIS leaders in Poland. LIS studies are responsible for individual growth of future library professionals, teaching them interpersonal communication and public relations skills, but also, providing them with the necessary professional preparation and helping with continuous improvement of qualifications. Polish library studies span over several levels of higher education, starting with undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate studies, through national examinations for certified librarians, concluding with doctorate degrees and higher titles. Undoubtedly, universities are responsible for disseminating the latest knowledge and defining the highest qualifications in professional librarianship. In Poland, there are no regulations as in the United States through ALA standards, which permit awarding LIS diplomas only starting at the graduate level. However, in fact, this level of professional training is minimal for LIS leaders. After all, they must possess general knowledge pertaining to their specialization and continue to follow the advancements in education and practice around the world. In many cases, official requirements for employment are higher than Master's of Library and Information Science (MLIS), for example, a doctorate degree or a diploma of national certification is necessary for a library director position. It is the role of LIS education leaders and LIS curricula that is so crucial in providing leaders of the field with lifelong learning.

In the last decade, the requirements placed on shoulders of LIS leaders experienced a significant transformation in Poland. The opening of national borders, faster transmission and access to information, as well as, introduction of the Internet created new challenges, which have kept libraries and library schools in a transitional period until now. In the 1990s, library automation and increased Internet access triggered a significant acceleration in these changes. In 1995, a Jagiellonian University initiative prompted LIS schools to make a report on the state of ITC implementation in their curricula and began some modernization efforts. It also instigated an annual, nationwide professional convention of academic teachers and practicians held in Cracow, thus providing a place for discussions on burning problems of current librarianship^[5]. It pressed universities that offer LIS programs to support the process of library modernization. Wanda Pindlowa of the Jagiellonian University received the first European grant for a Polish LIS program, for studies in library automation. As a result, the overall cooperation between LIS educators and practicians improved. The leaders of LIS education began to show creativity in cooperating with library practicians on many new and different issues. After 1989, the politically driven criteria for appointing librarians shifted into professionally motivated ones. Library priorities also changed when user needs became central to library activities. In LIS education, these transformations meant abandoning the historical and theoretical model for the concept of satisfying society's needs for ITC, especially, relating to information science, problem solving, effective negotiations and management. None of the changes would have occurred so fast and no further development would be possible without library professionals educated in modern programs, responsive to new challenges and accomplishing tasks in difficult economic situations. Considering that, in the early 1990s, Polish librarianship stood 20 years behind the developed world, continuous education of LIS leaders took place primarily abroad, in the United States, Germany, France, Holland and Scandinavia. It allowed for observations and comparisons to be drawn and resulted in similar attempts in Poland. The implementation of those new initiatives was easier due to the possibility of drawing on the experiences of other countries and thanks to financial support for the modernization of Polish LIS education received from the British Council, Civic Education Project USA, Soros Foundation, UNESCO, IFLA and others.

The possibilities for undertaking various initiatives by LIS leaders have swelled to include tasks that have emerged as a result of working in wide area networks. In addition to that, library specializations are still adapting to the needs of the changing society. The subjects of LIS studies have shifted towards the following areas: online and offline information resources development (digitalization and protection of data), information retrieval, electronic editorship, media-based education, knowledge management, implementation and promotion of library services based on electronic resources, adapting LIS studies to employer needs, focusing on regional and local problems, preservation and dissemination of knowledge about the national heritage associated with books (for example, participation in UNESCO's "Memory of the World" at http://www.archiwa.gov.pl/memo/).

In the Polish transition, many experiences of LIS program developers have been positive, but there were also some bitter ones, which bring into question the recognition of the real value of librarianship as a field of studies. An example of this is government's failure to recognize information science issues. The National Forum for Information Science and Technology has been organized for the past six years and, despite invitations to the event and promises of attendance, the government was never represented, even at last year's forum dealing with key issues of "Information, knowledge and the economy." The general principles guiding information management and dissemination are basically nonexistent and government strategies are poorly coordinated. There is a lack of information about the participation of the library community in projects like the Information Society Forum at the Ministry of Science. There is hardly any support coming from Parliament authorities that are slow to react to the emerging needs of this field. University authorities are also behind on their understanding of the requirements and the promising future of library and information studies in Poland. Matters that need immediate attention in order to allow for new actions to be taken usually drag on forever although, given their pertinence, they finally reach positive outcomes.

In order to tackle these long overdue problems weighing heavily on Polish LIS education, the academic library community created the University Accreditation Commission (UAC)^[6], which includes a team of experts consisting of 12 academic teachers selected for terms of four years. The chair of the UAC is the current author, Maria Kocojowa of the Jagiellonian University and the following specialists serve the UAC with their many years of experience: Marcin Drzewiecki (Warsaw University), Malgorzata Komza (Wroclaw University), Krzysztof Migon (Wroclaw University), Wanda Pindlowa (Jagiellonian University), Anna Sitarska (University of Bialystok), Irena Socha (Silesian University), Barbara Sosinka-Kalata (Warsaw University), Hanna Tadeusiewicz (University of Lodz), Barbara Trelinska (Maria Curie-Sklodowska University), Bronislawa Wozniczka-Paruzel (Nicholas Copernicus University), Barbara Zybert (Warsaw University). In addition to coordinating the process of accreditation, the team actively alerts central authorities to the problems in LIS education occurring on a national scale. In 2002, a special National Accreditation Commission (NAC) was also appointed to carry on a similar activity, among others, in the context of library and information science.

Many years of diverse professional commitments have exposed the current author to various experiences and perspectives. She was a longtime director of the Institute of Librarianship and Information Science at the Jagiellonian University and served three years at the Faculty of Management and Social Communication as associate dean. She coordinated many national and international research teams, held posts outside of Poland, organized and presided over the Cracow Branch of the Polish Bibliological Association. Most recently, she supervised the national team of experts on standards and accreditation of library and information science and technology. All these experiences inspired series of educational initiatives realized on a national scale since 1995, aiming to improve the status of LIS education and practice at a time of an intensely developing postindustrial information society. Her projects support issues of citizens' rights to education and world-class research. Furthermore, they focus on user demands for fast and satisfying library and information services using new technologies and tools, while abiding by the rules of democracy based on equal rights and responsibilities.

The above activities enable her to formulate a global perspective on the challenges, needs, tasks, strategies and resources of realizing the LIS educational process in Poland, as well as, its usefulness in developing generations of top library professionals. Additionally, they have helped her gain better understanding of social needs for better library services. Connections with professionals around the world and organization of annual international conferences on LIS education strategies make it possible to draw comparisons with countries that have had the biggest success in this area, such as, the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. She applies these experiences in her own academic practice.

The next section attempts to discuss the achieved, as well as, unfulfilled hopes of LIS program directors by focusing on two areas describing the range of competences, possibilities and barriers facing them in their quest to produce outstanding library professionals and thus, make a strong contribution to the advancement of library and information services. The two most important issues weighing over LIS program managers are:

• Organization of nationwide actions aimed at central legislative and executive authorities to improve the efficiency of the educational process.
• Coordination of LIS programs dependent heavily on university authorities.

2. External conditions influencing modern education of LIS leaders

The most difficult issues confronting LIS program coordinators in their mission to develop outstanding professionals are those that have to be solved at the level of central government authorities, such as the Ministry of National Education and Sport, the Central Commission for Academic Titles and Degrees, and the State Committee for Scientific Research. In addition to that, problems often arise with university authorities, depending on the position of the LIS program within the university structure and the extent of its autonomy. The need to harmonize educational policies with those of EU countries and according to international trends, the current requirements of professional librarianship in Poland, student and employer expectations will enforce immediate changes in LIS education. The most significant issues to be addressed include: university accreditation, changing the program title and minimal requirements for graduation, improving permanent education, dealing with LIS candidates entering the field from other careers, professional orientation, national examinations for librarians, developing a new discipline of studies adapted to current social needs. Moreover, there is a necessity to authorize a standard way of ranking institutions of higher education. University rating is already available in the form of published rankings that help applicants in choosing programs of study, allow employers to be better informed and suggest where to find future leaders in library and information science.

A. Relationships with central authorities

Accreditation
The measures taken to create formal university accreditation provided an opportunity to solve some problems facing LIS education. The establishment of UAC in 1998, followed by several requests for LIS program accreditation in 1999/2000, the selection of 12 experts in 2001 and the appointment of UAC members responsible for evaluation and 2002 visitations, all created the opportunity for comparisons between programs, discussions, conclusions and, finally, fulfillment of objectives derived from the process. Below are some noticeable effects of actions towards modernizing LIS education:

• The preparations for accreditation resulted in the overall modernization of LIS studies and staff. It prompted schools to implement the European Credit Transfer System to ensure international compatibility. It forced them to examine student and staff opinions, analyze minimal study requirements and evaluate their contribution to LIS research. Furthermore, schools had to examine the character of their educational offers and draw conclusions from the UAC visitations.
• On June 28, 2002, the Conference of Polish University Rectors (KRUP) approved the accreditation of library and information science track in six universities. The LIS programs were assigned points that further classify them into three categories, above standard, standard and below standard. Full accreditation for five years has been granted to five leading LIS programs: 1) Warsaw University, 2) Jagiellonian University, 3) Wroclaw University, 4) Silesian University and 5) Nicholas Copernicus University. The ranking shows that LIS programs operating more independently of their institutions earned a higher ranking. Hence, Torun's Nicholas Copernicus University, which has an LIS department, was placed fifth. The sixth institution, Lublin's Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, whose LIS program maintains the status of a center (i.e. is highly dependent on university authorities), received a conditional 2-year accreditation. The results confirm the effectiveness of efforts of academic leaders in modernizing LIS programs. They show that greater autonomy of LIS programs leads to better education. Finally, they stress a need for continuous monitoring of the educational quality, as well as, improvement of staff and management qualifications. The effects of the ranking can be seen, for example, in activities of LIS educational leaders.

The accreditation of LIS studies in Poland created a point of reference in evaluating education on the bachelor's and master's levels. It also means that the educational transformation of universities seeking accreditation is headed in the right direction, following in the footsteps of international tendencies.

Changing the program name and implementing new minimal course requirements

The modernization of LIS education in Poland prompted the need to change program names and to introduce new minimal course requirements in order to popularize the field and to provide future LIS leaders with the best professional preparation. Changing names of institutes, for example, at Warsaw University to the Institute of Information Science and Bibliological Studies and, at the Jagiellonian University, to the Institute of Librarianship and Information Science, became an important contributing factor to achieving a more accurate public reception. Recently, the University Accreditation Commission, headed by the author, made two significant appeals to government authorities.

1. In a letter to the Ministry of National Education and Sport, dated March 11, 2002, UAC requested a change in the official name of studies to "Information science and librarianship" instead of "Librarianship and information science and technology." At the end of June 2002, the General Council for Education sent the petition with its positive remarks back to MNES, which will process the claim further.
2. The committee of LIS experts also prepared new curriculum requirements for full 5-year master's studies, as well as, two-level studies (bachelor's and master's), in which they focused more on information technology skills, as opposed to humanities, in order to fulfill current user needs. They recommended new titles for courses to match international trends and proposed a requirement of a minimum of 1700 hours (in two-level studies, 1000 hours for the bachelor's program and 500 hours for the complementary master's studies). The required number of study hours of LIS programs with the highest number of accreditation points fluctuates around 3000 hours. More detailed information is available on the websites of UAC and JU's Institute of Librarianship and Information Science [http://bilon.miks.uj.edu.pl/]. The project received a positive review by the National Accreditation Commission and is on its way towards further approval. The final outcome is anticipated for the end of 2002.

Doctorate studies

The LIS experts did not evaluate doctorate studies because those are usually undertaken at other university units, such as, departments of history, philology or management. Furthermore, with the exception of Wroclaw University, schools lack authorization for appointing assistant professors in LIS. Doctorate studies do not attract potential candidates because of poor financing and teacher assistant salaries that are even lower than library wages. The system of doctorate studies in LIS needs serious modifications, among other things, in the area of professional training of future LIS leaders. The general tendency for universities to seek employees with doctorate degrees, official requirements for management positions, as well as, the growing unemployment of recent LIS graduates are factors driving further development of this level of studies.

It is also worth mentioning that, in Poland, there are individual doctoral seminars conducted independently by scholars for librarians with leadership aspirations. However, since doctorate candidates are usually employed in libraries, it is common for them to take a long time in completing their doctoral dissertations.

Post-graduate studies

The issue of LIS education on the post-graduate level is rather uncertain. Legally speaking, completion of LIS post-graduate studies grant the same rights to graduates who entered the program from other master's studies as to those who hold MLIS degrees. Post-graduate studies in LIS are organized by state and private schools. According to current regulations, they can be administered by schools that do not offer bachelor's and master's degrees in LIS, therefore, do not have the necessary professional personnel and teaching foundation. Unfortunately, the quality of education offered by these schools is not monitored and, with the exception of accredited universities, it deviates significantly from the established standards.

There are two types of post-graduate studies:

1. Studies intended for individuals to acquire additional qualifications, mainly for teachers who are required to do so by 2006, or for individuals making a career change (for example, Russian language teachers who suffered massive lay-offs in the 1990s).
2. Studies intended for individuals to improve their professional qualifications, enabling promotion or change of employment within the LIS profession. Most common in this category are basic post-graduate studies, especially, for school librarians. Some universities offer specializations in publishing, research libraries, wide area networks, and library automation.

However, there are only few post-graduate studies that address current technological trends in libraries although, in fact, they are a key component of training managers and improving permanent learning of LIS leaders. This type of post-graduate studies may attract graduates of other master's programs aiming to expand their ITC qualifications. Post-graduate programs at accredited universities offer good quality education, which is often surprising to the public that generally does not realize how radical have been the changes in LIS training. It is also possible that there will soon be more appealing supplementary master's studies for the more ambitious library professionals.

National examinations for certified librarians

The requirements for official LIS certification, as well as, responsibilities that it entails, which brings librarians into the elite LIS workforce, should be followed more rigorously, especially, in terms of continuing one's education and contributing to scholarship and teaching.

Similarly to post-graduate studies, the existence of supplementary master's studies for graduates of other master's programs in Poland agrees with worldwide tendencies towards improving professional qualifications via additional certifications. However, rapid advancements in library and information science make it necessary for librarians to update professional knowledge related to their positions (for example, every 10 years).

New academic discipline: social information and communication

Advancements in librarianship have produced new areas of research dealing with the development of an information society based on ITC.

The idea to create a single name for a discipline covering research in social information and communication came from the Faculty of Management and Social Communication at the Jagiellonian University and it caught the attention of many scholars in Poland. LIS studies and research are conducted at the Faculty since 1996 (in the years 1974-1995, they were situated at JU's Faculty of Philology). By the request of the Institute of LIS, Institute of Journalism and Social Communication, as well as, interested scholars representing the Institute of Management, Institute of Inventiveness and Protection of Intellectual Property, Institute of Public Affairs, the Dean of the Faculty of Management and Social Communication requested the formation of a new discipline, called, social information and communication. The discipline would cover areas open to information science research, the role of books and libraries in social communication processes, while stressing the role of LIS leaders and the importance of their permanent education. The petition was placed at the Central Commission for Academic Titles and Degrees in February 2002 and it is due for consideration in the fall. The interest in ITC issues shown by newcomers to the field, as well as, a number of doctorate dissertations on this topic greatly encourage further development of research in this area and the creation of special professional titles. For LIS graduates, the acceptance of this discipline into the official Central Commission registry indicates future approvals of LIS research on issues of user needs for information. The current official considerations continue to show preference for historical studies while participants of LIS programs find them less attractive and now express a very different vision of professional development. Evidence of this can be seen in choices of topics for master's dissertations from the past few years at Warsaw University and Jagiellonian University.

Until now, a dozen or so of doctoral dissertations dealing with current issues struggled against old divisions of knowledge, posing problems to departmental research councils in their evaluations of student work and limiting choices of subjects to students. The problem becomes all the more urgent considering that, for instance, in all of Poland, only Wroclaw University is certified to confer assistant professorship status in bibliology, which leaves its Philological Department Council with an overload of work and responsibility.

Given the high retirement rate in professional librarianship, the situation becomes more worrisome, as produced vacancies will require quick refilling and the future success of library and information science services put definite expectations on modern personnel. Young people, possible future leaders in this field, should have easy access to obtaining professional qualifications that meet their needs and interests.

Activities of various communities

Activities of various research and social circles, participation in professional studies of Polish and international organizations, serving on national and local advisory boards greatly contributes to the popularity of LIS as a field of studies and enables the realization of initiatives of social importance.

However, there are also some general worries, such as:

• Governing authorities take a long time to resolve issues that are obvious to the library community.
• The very low cost factor of LIS studies determines the amount of funds received from the Ministry of National Education and Sport. The cost factor was calculated before major changes in the field took place and needs to be increased from 1.5 points to, at least, 2 points.
• The Polish government shows little support for the development of LIS studies and research, and generally underestimates the role of LIS leaders in scientific, economic and cultural advancement of the country.

B. Relationship with university authorities

Currently, the needs of modern LIS education are the subject of negotiations with university authorities. In effect, university rectors, senates and various departmental councils are gaining a better understanding of the new conditions required by modern LIS education and recognizing it as the way to train future LIS leaders. Some important changes are already noticeable, such as:

• The placement of LIS units within the university structure causes problems in the program organization. Traditionally, LIS studies were organized in philology or history departments currently imposing many limitations to satisfying emerging needs of the field. It hampers the progress of LIS education, which needs to be combined with different areas like advanced media, computer science, economics, management, sociology, psychology, etc. To resolve this problem, Jagiellonian University moved its LIS unit to the Faculty of Management and Social Communication, a concept that is rather new in Poland, although, already practiced around the world. Its position in the organizational structure of the university ensures a natural cooperation with experts of management, applied psychology, public affairs, copyright law, which is essential to creating modern LIS curricula and thus, producing LIS leaders. This solution can contribute to the discussion on finding the most appropriate place for LIS studies within universities, especially, given the tendency to form social communication departments in Poland and around the world.
• The recent tendency to upgrade accredited LIS departments to a higher status of institutes is a positive change, which confirms the improvements in quality and quantity of personnel, growing popularity of the field, higher numbers of new applicants, as well as, better diversity of educational offers. Greater opportunity for planning and control over LIS programs are key to improving educational quality. This benefit of greater control is enjoyed by university units with institute status, supported by special academic bodies, such as, institutes' councils, educational commissions (with participation of students), or other experimental groups (e.g. JU's Youth Commission or public relations representatives). Departments and centers that are governed by institutes have no statutory rights to direct planning and control over their programs. In those cases, this shows a lack of the required number of specialists, independent researchers (i.e. assistant professors) in order to qualify programs for institute status. Clearly, a status lower than an institute entails significant restrictions in the advancement of LIS studies (e.g. Nicholas Copernicus University and Maria Curie-Sklodowska University). The only way to ensure self-regulation in LIS program management and to implement progressive educational initiatives is to cross this official barrier.
• Participation of LIS program representatives in university senates, rector's commissions and faculty councils shows increased recognition of educational initiatives taken by LIS leaders. This has occurred in universities with five fully accredited LIS programs (i.e. Wroclaw University, Warsaw University, Jagiellonian University, Silesian University and Nicholas Copernicus University) where colleagues from other faculties have shown confidence in LIS educators and voted them into the respective university management councils. Their involvement in university management contributes to better responsiveness to problems and needs of LIS programs.

The following are some of the challenges that should be addressed by LIS education leaders:

• Eliminating the reduction of status of post-graduate diplomas or LIS specializations offered by non-LIS departments. This particularly refers to private schools lacking expert evaluations, as well as, to the growing number of post-graduate LIS studies organized in other departments without the professional expertise in the form of qualified faculty and adequate resources. New verification activities of the National Accreditation Commission, as well as, the formation of two-level LIS programs should prevent the declining respect towards national diplomas.
• Efforts to improve the quality of LIS studies and to ensure permanent education of leaders should involve the modernization of technical equipment existing in LIS programs located outside of Warsaw, Cracow and Torun. In the face of technological advancements, a continuous campaign for proper funding is also essential to maintaining modern computer hardware and software.
• Developing international relations with student participation, for instance, through programs like Erasmus and Leonardo (currently, limited to Jagiellonian University, Warsaw University and Nicholas Copernicus University).

3. Internal organizational conditions affecting modern education of LIS leaders.

On one hand, successful education of LIS leaders depends on the intellectual and personal characteristics of students and their identification with the profession. On the other hand, it relies significantly on educators' competencies (education, permanent learning), teaching abilities, ethics, professional activity and enthusiasm. The effectiveness of education also rests on proper planning and quality control inside the organization. Given the complexity of the subject, the following is just a selection of issues that require special attention.

Students

Recruitment
Recruiting new candidates for bachelor's programs, supplementary master's studies and other forms of permanent education is one of the biggest challenges facing LIS program directors. It is difficult to create LIS leaders in the absence of bright and enthusiastic candidates. Therefore, it seems crucial that recruitment specialists advertise the values of the field in order to attract candidates with the highest potential. It is a task that requires breaking stereotypical attitudes towards library and information science. Sadly, among the applicants for LIS studies in the year 2002/03 there were no winners of knowledge contests with an exception of a laureate of the Jagiellonian University Knowledge Contest. In general, LIS studies are chosen by young people from families already associated with the field, often coming from smaller metropolitan or rural areas, or young people fascinated by computers, but with a poor understanding of problems of modern library information services. Developing an extensive promotional campaign in top high schools should generate more individuality among the applicants, creating better chances for producing LIS leaders in the future. One can only hope that better career centers will start functioning in schools and that academic advisers will become obligatory in universities.

Curriculum fulfillment
Unequal levels of acquired education, lack of computer training or, even general knowledge in case of graduates of trade schools, complicates the process of fulfilling LIS curricula. Similar disparities exist among working students, for example, between librarians from town or country public libraries as opposed to from academic libraries. Reducing these differences among students requires additional actions, such as, offering introductory computer courses. Furthermore, schools have to maintain costly computer centers since students generally cannot afford the equipment themselves. Special funds also need to be set aside for regular upgrades of the equipment and programming that quickly becomes obsolete. Given the ineffectiveness of the foreign language education system in Polish universities, educators face tough barriers in English language education, which is crucial in teaching Internet-based library services. Students from small urban or rural areas tend to be less confident and usually do not aspire to become leaders, even within their own university. They are less likely to take advantage of international study opportunities, not only, for financial reasons but, more importantly, due to fear that they will not be able to meet the demands of studying abroad. However, student fascination with librarianship driven by family tradition or by some association with their birthplace should be acknowledged and encouraged. It may help them develop research goals in student associations or formulate topics for required written work. Background connections with the field should also be valued in seeking out candidates for leadership. Personal aspirations usually emerge in subjects of bachelor's theses, in specializations and master's theses. Students find contemporary issues more attractive. It is the duty of curricula developers to guide their interests in accordance with regional needs and future LIS development. Furthermore, they have to guarantee qualified academic staff necessary to organize the specializations. It is a very responsible mission that will influence future employment of graduates and library operations. The ambitious students gravitate towards modern information-based specializations, such as, those offered at Warsaw University and Jagiellonian University: electronic publishing, information in society, information broker, document digitalization and archiving, etc.

One very important way of motivating students is accomplished by rewarding excellence. Student efforts can also be stimulated by instilling an attitude that acquired skills will be met with appreciation at work, which should be supported by examples from professional practice. Students must realize that, given the high unemployment, the library community needs young talents, eager to get involved in professional work and research. It is crucial that LIS educators fulfill their end of the job by striving to produce graduates with qualifications equal to the specific university standards.

Educators

Next to coordinating the curriculum, motivating students into action is one of the most important goals and responsibilities of educators, critical in developing LIS leaders. In addition to standard management operations, the duties of program directors in this aspect are rather diverse.

Implementation of action-based teaching methods
It is very important to inspire active forms of learning, such as, participation in group projects. Educators also have to make sure that students learn effective ways of cooperation, responsibility for their work and ability to express ideas correctly. Students that show more enthusiasm could be given opportunity to take part in team research or to help organize bigger projects, conferences and other events, for example, Warsaw's Book Craze or Cracow's Science Festival. Finally, students with leadership potential, studying at supplementary master's or doctorate level could participate in conducting classes under professors' supervision.

Distribution of work among faculty and course monitoring
Following the appointment of faculty to particular courses, program directors must regularly monitor their performance. One of the main obstacles to good quality education is lack of professional teaching experience among the young faculty, since universities lack funding for full-time professionals, and among staff recruited from other areas, such as, history or Polish language studies. Excessive pragmatism of the staff, limiting information to one's own experiences, can be an additional hindrance. Due to the empirical character of LIS studies, university accreditation experts have obligated schools to hire carefully selected specialists, whose experiences and skills closely match curriculum demands. Participation in specialist courses by younger and less experienced faculty is particularly beneficial to them. It prepares them for future academic teaching and encourages seeking better quality in their work. Similarly, course evaluations completed by students drive improvement in young professors. The process of carrying out the LIS curricula should be continuously monitored and modified according to the ongoing advancements in the field.

Providing sufficient educational resources Another issue that requires regular monitoring, as well as, special planning efforts and support from the library community is providing access to essential LIS educational materials, such as: bibliographies, databases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, Polish and foreign professional literature, etc. Present-day tendencies towards Internet-based services make it necessary for students to learn how to navigate electronic and print resources. Showing merely title pages of resources or even briefly describing them is not enough to prepare students for information searching professions. Program directors must support the faculty in their efforts to secure access to all necessary print and electronic materials. Special management councils and director's representatives (for example, Jagiellonian University's Youth Commission or Public Relations Representative), academic counselors, heads and members of the institutes' councils and educational commissions can help in resolving organizational issues.

National and international cooperation
The benefits of national and international cooperation depend on the accomplishments of participating institutions and the quality of their educational offer. Institutional cooperation is very important in optimizing the educational process. When inviting scholars to their institution, program directors must be aware of interests and accomplishments of possible candidates and the rank of the university they represent. They must be fully aware of the benefits a given scholar can bring to the quality of education, consider the costs and possibilities of funding often available from foreign organizations. Professional conferences are an obvious opportunity to get acquainted with what particular scholars have to offer. Courses given by foreign partners are open to students, staff and any interested guests. The most valuable lessons in educational methods drawn from these exchanges should be applied in local teaching.

Public relations
LIS studies directors should surround their schools' web sites with special attention because, currently, they are the most important source of information and promotion. They should intensify promotional activities, for instance, through the media, on a local, national and even international level in order to draw attention to the crucial role of LIS leaders in the information society and in order to stimulate mechanisms that support the efforts of the library community.

Research
Because research is one of the driving forces of good quality education, LIS program directors have to arrange national and international research projects, monitor research development of their staff and organize studies addressing issues of social importance. Considering that current tendencies point towards group studies as opposed to individual ones, these types of projects have to be implemented throughout the curricula and continued through the careers of academic instructors. School's dedication to teaching teamwork and effective project development contributes to greater visibility in the library community and opens possibilities for obtaining extra funding (also from the EU) needed for educating LIS leaders. It is a complicated mission since, according to EU recommendations, research endeavors are more commonly attempted by national and international teams of professionals and in cooperation with university centers involved in non-profit or commercial library information practice.

Permanent education
Dedication to continuous learning of academic staff (through courses, conferences and symposia), specialization of the younger staff, developing educational and organizational talents is an exceptionally important goal of LIS program directors because it produces leaders in LIS education. Program directors must also remember to reward staff for their accomplishments in appropriate ways, as well as, recognize positive opinions of students.

LIS studies directors should also organize activities that popularize distance education using the Internet technology, which is beginning to dominate permanent education in developed countries. ^[7]

Conclusions

A wide range of duties of LIS program directors requires well-balanced cooperation between management and the staff, a clear division and responsible completion of duties, as well as, performance control. The fulfillment of generally practiced methods of team management ensures effectiveness, sound economics, staff and management satisfaction. It is impossible for any academic department to operate without applying universal management techniques, especially, for an LIS institution aiming to educate leaders and to implement various forms of permanent education of LIS professionals.

The conditions of LIS education in Poland presented in this essay point to a necessity of making the highest demands on educators as guides of LIS leaders:

• They should represent a world-class level of professional expertise in order to indicate the appropriate direction of change.
• They must possess basic management knowledge and ability to apply that knowledge towards their team and the authorities.
• They must demonstrate creativity and entrepreneurship in undertaking new educational, research and organizational initiatives.
• They must show determination in making decisions and realizing projects while recognizing views of the team and advisers.
• They should be able to discover new leaders within the ranks of the academic staff and the students, provide adequate conditions for them to develop their skills in leadership and entrepreneurship, based on understanding of current LIS needs.
• They must believe in the correctness of their choice of candidates for LIS leaders and in the effectiveness of their preparation while implementing individually suited methods. Making special efforts in the education of leaders is a profitable investment. It will be the new LIS leaders who will carry on the mission of educators and who will be the driving force of future changes needed to achieve a higher status and recognition of library and information science in the society of the third millennium.

Footnotes

[1] Le Pourcieau e-document. (2002). Academy Today. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Daily Report for Subscribers. Listserv.

[2] Aktualności EBiB [on-line]. [Warszawa]: Stowarzyszenie Bibliotekarzy Polskich KWE, 1999- [Accessed on June 21, 2002]. Monthly. Available online at: http://ebib.oss.wroc.pl/

[3] B. Feldman: Bibliotekarz dający się zauważyć w społeczeństwie. In: Edukacja permanentna bibliotekarzy i pracowników informacji naukowej w międzynarodowej perspektywie ed. by M. Kocójowa. Kraków: Wydawnictwo UJ, 1999, p. 26-31.

[4] Published since 1995 by JU's Institute of Librarianship and Information Science, Materiały Edukacyjne Bibliotekoznawstwa i Informacji Naukowej UJ is a series edited by M. Kocójowa, devoted to key issues in LIS, providing an independent forum for foreign authors, academic teachers, librarians, information specialists from all over Poland.

[5] Edukacja z zakresu bibliotekoznawstwa i informacji naukowej na poziomie wyższym w Polsce: Status i przyszłość. Collected works, ed. M. Kocójowa. Kraków: Wyd. UJ, 1995, 148 p.; Rapport mondial sur la communication et l'information 1999-2000, ed. G. Bartagnon and Y. Courrier. Paris: UNESCO, 2002, 341 p.

[6] University Accreditation Commission: http://main.amu.edu.pl/~ects/uka/uka.html

[7] The New Review of Libraries and Lifelong Learning Vol.1, ed. prof. Peter Brophy, UK, 2000, 172 s. ; B. Wools, B.E. Sheldon. Delivering Lifelong Continuing Professional Education Across Space and Time. Munchen: K.G. Saur, 2001, 263 p.

Translated by Marta Sobieszek