Preservation and Promotion of the National Book Heritage in the Practice of Libraries

Abstract

The article describes some aspects of libraries work to promote the national book heritage. It examines the book culture as a special phenomenon that ensures preservation of intellectual and spiritual traditions of the past and determines their adaptation to the system of modern communications, since the book was highly appreciated at all times and among all peoples as a monument of spiritual and material culture. It also presents promising areas of innovative methods for promoting the book heritage, including digital technologies, which are currently among the priority areas of activity of many social and cultural institutions.The purpose of the article is to review some library practices for organizing work with book monuments, describe the form and present promising areas for promoting book heritage in domestic libraries, including using digital technologies, which are currently among the priority areas of many social and cultural institutions. The article also bases on the materials provided by the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan (NL RT). The National Library has the Department of Manuscripts and Rare Books including the sector of Tatar and Oriental Literature with a group of the Consolidated Catalog of Tatar Books (1722–1917) and the sector of Russian and World Literature. This specialized department carries out scientific processing of publications and work to ensure safety of rare and especially valuable documents, including handwritten and old-printed Tatar and oriental books in Arabic script, ancient Russian books, editions of national and local history literature.In order to promote the unique book heritage, the Department of Manuscripts and Rare Books forms special collections of manuscripts, rare books, periodicals, albums and other written and printed documents, conducts studies in the field of the national book history, as well as scientific, methodological and publishing activities.