Book trading in the structure of book study: the evolution of ideas

Abstract

The article describes the evolution of views of leading scientists in the field of bibliology regarding the book trade. It focuses on the concepts created by some of the founders of bibliology such as N. Lisowski, A. Lovyagin, M. Kufaev. Views on book trade presented in the works of Soviet book specialists in the 1920s—30s (M. Shchelkunov, N. Somov, A. Mézières) are also outlined. Attention is given to the discussion of the structure of bibliological sciences as a comprehensive science, as well as the place that book trade occupies within it in the period of the "rebirth" of bibliology. Furthermore, the article analyzes the place of book trade in the functional concepts of bibliology created by A. Barsuk. It also focuses on the role of book trade in the writings of J. Morgenstern, E. Nemirovsky, and in M. Nyzovyi four-component structure of book science. The views on book trade within the systematic-typological concepts of bibliology by A. Belovickaya are also considered. The article also defines the place of book trade in the documentional conception (Yu. Stolyarov, A. Shvetsova-Vodka) and presents the views on this phenomenon reflected in the works of M. Raz and V. Markova. The analysis of the aforementioned reflections on the book trade as an object of bibliographic research allows the author to conclude that in the conceptions of leading scholars it is regarded as a part of book sciences (traditional bibliology), as a communication intermediary in documental communication (documental concept), and as a communication intermediary in book communications (socio-communicative approach). Finally, the article identifies the prospects of further studies for scientific research on the e-book trade.