The Russian State Library in a Changing World: Traditions in the Context of Digital Age

Abstract

Synthesis of the Russian State Library’s main activities that correspond to its functions as a national library of the country provides an opportunity to focus on the issues of transformation of such a multifunctional, complex, non-linear evolving system as this. This focus can help to identify the communication system that would allow to fit into the digital age, while maintaining the traditional functions, to transform the traditional types and forms of activities, to enrich and create new technologies and new services for users. First of all, this applies to the activities associated with acquisition and processing of legal deposit copies of documents in electronic form, maintenance of the register of book monuments, provision of the universal collection of documents for the use of society via the state information system “National Electronic Library”, etc. Technological changes, which correct the functionality of national library, contribute to modernization of the management system and increase of the responsibility level. This requires improving the mechanisms of legislative and normative regulation and development of communication networks. A special role in these processes belongs to scientific communications, implemented through research, scientific-methodical and scientific-organizational activities. The increasing saturation of the library space with information and communication technologies leads to a change in its structure and creates a more comfortable environment for each user’s creative work. The used methodology allows to focus on development by the library of social and cultural communications, which strengthen the social role of the institutions of cultural heritage, attracting public attention to the problems of culture development and its role in solving social problems.