Training library administrative staff for rural regions: The case of Vernadsky University

Today, the challenged Russian rural regions have to revise the role of key sociocultural institutions, and in particular libraries with their traditional central place. Despite the downtrend of the number of rural libraries and librarians, these institutions are extremely important in the life of local community as cultural centers, educational sites and as unique links between traditional values and advanced technologies. In this situation, training administrative staff has to be aimed at preservation and modernization of the rural library network of Russia. The author examines the innovative approach toward educating library administrators-to-be as the case study of Vernadsky University. She analyzes the model of integrated education connecting traditional values with modern technologies aimed at educating new generation of efficient administrators of institutions of culture in the context of digital transformation of rural areas.