Mapping professional development: a technical library story

Abstract

The story of professional development in communist Romania includes both official and unofficial programs, resources and relations. Searching for these resources as well as developing productive relations was dependent on each person’s interest and context. Based on oral history interviews with librarians that worked in public libraries in the 1970s and the 1980s, this paper maps the professional support available at that time. To illustrate the variety of resources and relations captured on this map, we use the successful case of a librarian from a technical branch of a public library. Through dedication and with the professional support she received over the years, this librarian created innovative aiding tools that helped meet the informational needs of the public.