The First Library Session of the People’s Commissariat of Education in Moscow: Continuity and New Challenges

Abstract

Based on the archival documents of the Russian State Library (RGB), the article studies the questions on the situation with librarianship in Russia before the October Revolution of 1917 and in the early post-revolutionary years. Introduction of the new sources and the new interpretation of the continuity and interaction of specialists after the Revolution determine the scientific novelty of the study. The source base of the research are the materials of the First All-Russian Congress on Librarianship of 1911 and the First Library Session of the People’s Commissariat of Education in 1919. For the first time the article introduces into scientific circulation the bulk of the materials of the First Library Session, not published in full and stored in the Archive of the Russian State Library. Despite the fundamental changes in life associated with social processes after the October Revolution, practical experience accumulated by libraries in pre-revolutionary times within the Russian Empire, as well as its theoretical understanding became largely the basis for the new organization of librarianship. Evaluation of the development of librarianship in Russia and the need for radical changes in librarianship were formulated at the Congress of 1911. Thanks to the active participation of librarians and book experts in the discussion of the structure of the librarianship, many historical shortcomings of the old system have received professional and competent solution. The dialogue of the new government with the old personnel facilitated this process. The Bolshevik leadership duly appreciated professionalism of the library staff and largely used their suggestions made at the First Library Session, which became the basis for the construction of library network in the country and organization of professional development training. The leadership of the People’s Commissariat of Education took over the establishment of ideological control over the activities of libraries, leaving the practical work under the supervision of employees of these institutions. The author concludes that the subsequent success of the development of librarianship in the USSR demonstrated the correctness of the developed plan, built on the opinion of professionals and created by them in the main features.