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Straipsnyje, remiantis išrastų tradicijų teorine prieiga, žvelgiama į Ukmergės Vlado Šlaito viešosios bibliotekos darbuotojų kolektyvo sukurtas apdovanojimų tradicijas. Apdovanojimai gali būti vertinami dviprasmiškai: kaip priemonė siekti įvairių tikslų, įtvirtinti valdančiosios grupės galią, poziciją ar statusą, tačiau teigiamų iniciatyvų gali rastis ir iš kolektyvo vidaus, kai įsivyravusi tradicija įvertinti geriausius bendruomenės narius stiprina profesinį tapatumą, prestižą, bendruomeniškumo jausmą. Iš to kyla probleminiai tyrimo klausimai: ar sovietiniais metais bibliotekoje įdiegtos apdovanojimų tradicijos buvo tik automatiškai atkartojami veiksmai, ar jos įgijo ir savitų interpretacijų bei tapo svarbios ir reikšmingos? Ar apdovanojimai išliko atkūrus šalies nepriklausomybę ir kokių prasmių jie įgijo? Raktiniai žodžiai: bibliotekininkai, tradicijos, apdovanojimai, profesinės bendruomenės, organizacijos. The article chooses to look at the award traditions that formed within a collective of librarians based on theoretical access to invented traditions. During the Soviet years, awards were an integral part of the newly invented modern work holidays in collectives, and the government had the greatest influence on both their form and content. Librarians were rewarded on almost every occasion: when starting their job at the library, when they were retiring, for good performance, at anniversaries, and on other occasions. The very concept of the invention of tradition indicates an intention to influence the community, and the awards, if they become traditional, further establish authority or power over other people, thus demonstrating superior prestige, position or status. However, although awards are largely initiated by external forces, it is possible that positive initiatives can be found from within, when the prevailing tradition of electing the best members of the professional community strengthens the professional identity and prestige, and encourages a sense of community. The aim of this study is to find out whether the librarian community adopted and integrated library staff awards, and whether the awards established themselves as a significant tradition supported by internal initiatives. The objectives of the research: to present a theoretical approach to the invention of this tradition; to find out how the traditions of the best employee award were created in Ukmergė Public Library over time; to analyse attributes of the meanings and values of members of the professional community of librarians towards the awards. Material for the study was collected in 2019–2021. Semistructured indepth interviews and participatory followups were conducted with the informants. A total of 30 informants were interviewed. Semistructured indepth interviews and participatory followups were conducted with the informants. A total of 30 informants were interviewed. Semistructured indepth interviews and participatory followups were conducted with the informants. In the search for informants, efforts were made to speak not only to those working today, but also to the older generation, who could tell us about the lives of Sovietera cultural workers. Library manuscripts, chronicles, institution histories, ethnographic works, memoirs of employees, and photographs from the personal collections of the informants and institutions, and the Soviet press, were also used as sources. The study revealed that the awards were a newly created Soviet tradition based on cyclicality, the repetition of established rules, and the creation and implementation of a social community and solidarity within the professional community. Soviet awards first established an aspect of novelty, while repetition from year to year established the concept of tradition. There was an attempt to give significance to awards, and to entrench them within organisations. However, this was only partially achieved. Librarians took part in general socialist competitions and award ceremonies, and followed the established rules. But they also had their own traditions within their collectives, which allowed them to take their own initiatives at award ceremonies. And the socialist race itself was viewed as a game that allowed them to interpret the reality of the time. In terms of the transfer and acceptance of the award tradition, it should be noted that in the Soviet years this tradition was rather static and unchanging, and the metamorphosis of the awards during the era of independence revealed that it was changing, that it was becoming flexible and vibrant, and that it adapted to situations which came from within the community. This change in tradition was largely due to the political and social environment of the different periods. In the Soviet era, the award of the best employee reflected the values of that time: dependence on the society of Soviet people, obedience to established norms and standards, and the socialist way of life. The awards in the years of independence reflected the societal characteristics of this period: individuality, uniqueness, originality, a quality rather than a quantitybased work environment, and its results. Although all awards in the professional community depend more or less on the people and groups in power, this power varies in intensity in different historical periods. How much did librarians accept these awards, and how important has this tradition become to them? The evaluation of the awards and the attribution of meaning depend to a large extent on the individual experience of each informant. But looking at the library community in general, it can be seen that awards had a number of positive aspects: they strengthened the sense of community and belonging, increased the professional identity, and established a certain social order. The fact that today’s librarians appreciate awards and willingly participate in the festivities organised on their occasion, shows the practical benefits and the significance of this tradition today. It follows that the attempt to shape the tradition of the award which emerged during the Soviet years was a success: the past is still largely in place today. The fact that librarians’ own initiatives and evaluations of awards changed at different periods in time can be seen as a natural breakdown of the tradition itself, its interpretation and recreation, and the loss of the power of past ideas against modern experiences. Keywords: librarians, traditions, awards, professional communities, organisations. |
