Summary
This work does not deal with history of formal and informal education for librarians, or modalities of work in modern institutions in this domain. On the contrary, regarding professional education of school librarians in Serbia, it initiates current issues of their professional identity and considers possibilities of improving their position within the school system, as well as within the system of Serbian librarianship.
Should a teacher work as a librarian in a school library, whether there are teachers with professional qualifications appropriate for work in libraries, what about position of professional associates, from the aspect of their education and training, how are the similar problems regulated abroad - these are the matters dealt with in this paper. As a possible solution, it proposes harmonization of the national practice with the practice of the European Union, i.e. introduction of master’s degree in the field of library and information science as a standard for work in school libraries. If a school librarian were a person with the basic academic degree in some of the studies required to teach in school and the master’s degree in library and information science, or a person with both basic academic and master’s degree in LIS, the mere fact that the person has obtained the title from accredited higher education institution, would be the qualitative shift. Not from library, because the library is not an institution of formal education; not at professional examination that is a relic of a completely different system, and not a certificate of the professional examination but a diploma that carries a certain number of ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) and has international significance and validity. This, of course, means a fundamental change in legislation relating to employment, systematization of positions and career advancement, but only the changes like these may bring the library profession in Serbia in equal position with other professions.

Keywords:
school librarian, occupation, formal education, professional training, professional identity, teaching assistant, library and information science, master studies

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