The Current State of Senior Library Staff and the Particularities of Their Professional Training in the Republic of Cameroon

In Cameroon a policy for the management of human resources in the field of Librarianship andInformation Scienceis lacking. A brief history of the development of professional training in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) education and the results of the analysis of the current state of librarians and information workers of the Republic of Cameroon reveal that, the system of continuous training of library Executives and staff lack some complementary levels of training. The main principles of the content of the training of such a system, which must be the basis of the corresponding training programs, are not defined. There is no mechanism for cooperation between the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Arts and Culture in the process of training of library staff. The normative and legal documents regulating the career of the library specialist and their training are lacking. The training programs of the main departments offering training in Documentation and Information, at the Advanced School of Mass Communication (ASMAC), University of Yaounde II and the Department of Library and Information Science of the Protestant University of Central Africa (PUCA), are not standardized nor have the required experience to provide high-level continuing training. Equally, there is no professional publishing house in the field of library science in Cameroon, which is necessary for discussions and debates on issues related to the application of technology in the field of LIS. Based on the above results, this study concludes that training of librarian specialistsis not yet well developed and the current state of affairs is not satisfactory for the development of the national culture.


Introduction
The purpose of this articleis based entirely on literature review and the author's extensive knowledge, teaching experience and research in Library and Information Science (LIS) education and training in Cameroon. Thisstudy provides an overview of the present situation of senior library staff and the particularities of their professional training in Cameroon. Also, this article analyses the currentdifficulties, barriers and problems affecting higher library education in Cameroon. The reason therefore is that librarianship and in particular LIS education in Cameroon has been influenced by the situation in the countries that colonized Africa. Each colonial power approached librarianship differently; this greatly affected the discipline in the colonies, Cameroon inclusive. In terms of LISdevelopment, Cameroon can be dividedinto two language blocks, namely, Anglophone and Francophone blocks

Background
Library services were first mentioned in the Republic of Cameroon at the end of the 15th century (during the initial colonization of the country from the 15th to the 18th centuries). A new phase of colonization withthe English, German and French missionaries began in the end of the 18th century-beginning of the 19th century. It is important to note that the colonizers and missionaries from Europe brought a significant number of books and magazines, which contributed to the development of culture and education. The network of Roman Catholic, Protestant and other Christian religious communities, Bible reading centers and book points were actively developed. English, German and French clubs and courses were organized. In some cases, the clergymen created a "secular" library to help educate. The influence of religious missions in the Republic of Cameroon is still very great [1,9,11,[13][14][15][16].

Training of Library Staff
Early training of French-speaking library staff was offered by educational institutions out of the country (Canada, Morocco, Senegal, France and Switzerland). In addition, toplevel training was provided at the School of Librarians and Archivists of the University of Cheikh Anta Diopin Dakar -Senegal, which continues to play an important role in the training of Librarians in French-speaking countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Cameroon. Indeed, between 1979 and 2015 this school trained 2072 information specialist. Of the 27 African countries represented in this school, Cameroon registered 200 graduates and ranked second after Senegal [1]. However, after their training, many of these specialists diverted as they were employed in other areas.
Equally, training of English-speaking librarians in

Distribution of Library Staff
With regard to staff composition, it should be noted that the largest number is employed in libraries of state universities (45.4%), libraries of various ministries (20.6%) and public libraries (11.4%) [ Looking at the main reasons for the uneven distribution of library staff throughout Cameroon, it should be noted that this is closely related to the history evolution, cultural policy and ideological influence of a country that was colonized by France and England [2].

History and Evolution Library Sector in Cameroon
The process of library education in the Republic of Cameroon begins in the middle of the XIX century with the arrival of American and European missionaries. They were engaged in education with objective to reduce illiteracy. By the mid-1940s, 45% of Cameroonians and 35% of its vocational schools were attached to Roman Catholic, Protestant and other Christian missions. The founders of the missionary libraries simultaneously served as Evangelists, teachers and librarians. The advent of libraries has enabled the people and society of Cameroon to gain a first understanding of the librarianship profession, on the one hand, and all those who were interested in this profession work in libraries as assistant librarianson the other hand. It was the missionaries who were the first to teach the basics of library management processes including the collection, processing and arrangement of booksand newspapers.
After the Declaration of independence on January 1st. 1960, Cameroon began training local librarians and Their Professional Training in the Republic of Cameroon information workers in foreign educational institutions and libraries: 1) in regional library schools (in Nigeria and Senegal) with the support of the West African librarians Association; 2) during the internships of Cameroonian librarians in major libraries in other African countries; 3) through the participation of Cameroonian librarians in various foreign educational programs and courses in librarianship and archives management in England, the United States of America and France. The most active cooperation was with France, this was, maybe due to the historical relations between the two countries and the fact that 8 out of 10 regions are predominantly French-speaking.

Professional Education and Training
Short courses: From 1970 to 1985 library day short-term courses and internships for the training of librarians in the cities of Yaounde and Douala operated periodically by the Association for the training of administrative personnel and a pan-African development institution. The purpose of these courses was to provide a library worker without special education with the basic knowledge and skills of library acquisition and document processing. The length of internships varied according to the needs of library staff and could last from 3 to 6 months. The certificate was issued upon completion.
In 1974, the Association of librarians, archivists, documentaries and Museum workers was established with the aim of further improving the library business in Cameroon, increasing the prestige of the librarian profession and improving their educational level. Its members discussed actual problems of professional training of library specialist, developed cooperation and exchange of experience with library associations of near and far abroad. The establishment of the Association has facilitated professional contacts and made the exchange of experience between Cameroonian librarians more effective.
In 1988-1990, disciplines in library science and documentation were taught in order to acquire a certain level of information culture of future specialists in the field of communication at the ASMAC, which trained journalists.
In 1989-1999, thanks to a ten-year partnership agreement between the Main public library in Yaounde and the Association of librarians of France, six-month courses were organized for employees of public libraries in Cameroon and particular countries of Central Africa. They had a practical orientation. In addition to the basics of the library profession, students acquired the ability to organize mass events in public libraries. Graduates received a certificate of assistant librarian, confirmed by the Association of French librarians. Later, however, the partnership agreement between the two organizations was not renewed, and the educational process that began under the agreement was interrupted.

Solutions to Training Challenges
For more than three decades to come, Cameroon has been using two options in addressing the challenges of library training: a) training of top-level specialists in various educational institutions in Africa, England, Germany, USA, Canada, France and the former USSR; b) professional development of local specialists with the support of international organizations. Foreign specialists were invited to give lectures, seminars and participate in library conferences held in Cameroon. Equally, internshipprograms were organized abroad for Cameroonian librarians. The most active in these areas were international organizations such as:

Higher LISEducation in Cameroon
Higher-level training in librarianship in Cameroon began only in 1994, when, as a result of the University reform and in accordance with presidential decrees No. 93/026 and 93/027, the Second State University was opened in Yaounde (Yaounde II) on 19 January 1993 [3,4]. A training program for highly qualified librarians began at the ASMAC in2000; this program acquired the status of a Department. Since 2006, it has become known as the Department of Documentation and Information. This Department became the pioneer institution in the provision of higher-level library training in the Republic of Cameroon.
Currently, about 180 students study at the Documentation and Information Department of ASMAC. The annual enrollment plan for the budget and paid form of education rangesfrom 60 to 70 students. The training program of the department envisages the training of specialists in the field of documentary information, professionals who can perform the following duties: librarian-documentalist-archivist in libraries, documentation centers, archives, public administration, businesses and international organizations. The duration of studies is three years. At the end of the training, the students obtain a Professional Degree in

Private Initiatives in the Training of Senior Library Staff
In 2007, the Department of LIS was opened at the Faculty of Social Sciences and International Relations at the Protestant University of Central Africa (Yaounde). The training of specialists is paid in this department and the annual intake of students is 20. The training plan for specialists has as teaching units: Librarianship, Documentation, Bibliographic description, Archrivals science, Book and publishing technology, Communication and communication tools, Information system, Information dissemination, Copyright and related rights, Educational tools. At the end of the three-year course, the learner will be a Bachelor's degree holder in Information Science and can work as Librarian, Documentalist, Archivist, Information Systems Manager, Information Manager, Database Manager, Business Intelligence, Documentation Inspector in the Cameroonian Public Service. The majority of the teaching staff is made up of lecturers from the Department of Documentation and Information at the ASMAC, University of Yaounde II and senior information practitioners working in libraries, information centers and archives in Yaounde. The existence of partner libraries, information centers and archival services in Yaounde, has permitted these students to carry out their internship and to master the practical part of their training.

Challenges
Analyzing the current policy of training library staff in the Republic of Cameroon, it should be noted that it is not designed for a wide range of applicants. Even those students who study at the expense of budgetary funds have to pay about 100 US dollars per year for study. The cost of paid Higher LISeducation in Cameroon is $ 1000 -a significant amount for a country where the average wage is $ 60 per month. The creation of the Department of Documentation and Information of the State University of Yaounde II and the Department of LIS of the Protestant University of Central Africa also make it possible to solve gender problems. Cameroonian women had gained access to the profession of librarian, since up to that time higher LIS education had been available only abroad, which was unacceptable to most Cameroonian women because it did not conform to cultural and historical traditions. Only in 1982, 20 years after the establishment of the School of Librarians, archivists and documentalists at the University of Dakar (Senegal), that it became possible to see the first Cameroonian woman to receive a diploma from that school [5]. According to statistics from the school of librarians, archivists and documentaries in Dakar, among 120 Cameroonians who received education in 1962-1994, there were 33 women, i.e. 27.5% against 87 (72.5%) men [5,[11][12][13]. During the period from 1998 to 2016, in the Republic of Cameroon the Department of Documentation and Information of the ASMAC of the State University of Yaounde II trained 677 specialists, of which women accounted for 63% and men -37%, and the Department of LIS of the Protestant University of Central Africa only for five years (in the period from 2011 to 2016) trained 80 personnel (women 70%, men 30%) [7-10, 12].

Staff Quality and Other Related Problems
Speaking about the quality of trainers or teaching staff of librarianship in Cameroon, it is important to note that the Department of Documentation and Information in ASMAC and at the Department of LIS in the Faculty of Social Sciences and International Relations of the Protestant University of Central Africa operate without lecturers at the professorial level− they do not have Associate Professors and full Professors. These departments therefore do not allow students to continue to the Master or Doctorate level in Library Science. Such an opportunity has been provided by foreign library schools, for example, in West Africa (Nigeria, Senegal), as well as in America and Europe. There is an acute shortage of teaching materials, relevant software systems, and limited access to the Internet and poor connectivity, etc. Furthermore, there is no professional publication in the field of LIS necessary that could have provided the ground to discuss issues related to evolutions and innovations in librarianship in Cameroon.
Established in 1974, the national public professional association, the Association of librarians, documentarists, archivists and Museum workers, has not been able to take over the function of consolidating Cameroon's professional library community. The Association does not have structures that could determine the policy of library business in the country, training and advanced training of library staff, contribute to the improvement of the social status of the librarian profession in society. There has not been any press organ that could be an important means of professional communication and consolidation for Cameroonian librarians.

Conclusion
In total, it should be emphasized that this study identifies a number of barriers to higher library education in Cameroon, the system of training library staff has not yet developed, and the current state of affairs does not correspond to the urgent needs of cultural construction of the country.