SWOT analysis of Centre for permanent professional development at Ljubljana City Library, Slovenia

Abstract

Knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes of employees are an important element for reaching various aims of (public) libraries. At Ljubljana City Library (LCL) various learning activities for library employees are merged under the frame of Centre for permanent professional development, called also LCL Learning Centre. Centre provides a wide set of learning activities for employees of the LCL, library staff of other Slovenian libraries and for the wider professional public (i. e. translators, editors, students) also. In 2018 120 learning activities (workshops, lectures, seminars etc.) were organised in a total duration of 400 hours, in which altogether participated almost 1.800 attendees. This paper presents and discusses the current organisation, situation and orientation of the Centre. In the introduction, institutional and theoretical background is described. The main part of the paper is structured as a SWOT analysis of the current state. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are identified, discussed and presented. From LCL point of view, the purpose of this analysis is to monitor and evaluate the current situation. This presentation of good practice is an example of how learning activities for librarians can be organised in public library with approximately 230 employees, with 35 library branches serving the population of approximately 360.000 inhabitants of central Slovenia region in nine municipalities.