Library Space Research Articles

The Use of Transparent Structures to Improve Light Comfort in Library Spaces and Minimize Energy Consumption: A Case Study of Warsaw, Poland

Light plays a key role in shaping the quality and atmosphere of interior spaces, and its importance and contradictions are amplified in the design of libraries. This study focuses on the problems associated with both insufficient natural light and excessive light. In both cases, visual discomfort is the result. The reason for these problems lies in the use of translucent structures with different parameters and properties in library architecture. This study analyzed the lighting environment in the main reading rooms of two university libraries in Warsaw. The research methods were based on a field survey of objects and an analysis of the architectural and construction parameters of the premises, as well as the physical and mechanical properties of various types of translucent materials used in the reading rooms. The results of this study shed light on the relationship between the interior space of the reading room and the geometry of transparent structures, as well as the effectiveness of daylighting in libraries in the natural conditions of Warsaw. The key point of the present study was to recognize the critical role that transparent materials and structures play in mitigating potential operational problems in library spaces. Wise selection of these elements at the design stage can help minimize problems related to thermal energy regulation, ventilation control, acoustic insulation, and increased visual comfort. The importance of this research area lies in its potential to optimize library buildings by increasing energy efficiency and reducing reliance on artificial lighting, heating, and air conditioning. Careful consideration of transparent materials at the design stage promises long-term benefits in the form of sustainable library spaces that not only meet functional requirements, but also contribute to a more environmentally conscious architectural landscape.

Social Media as an Effective Channel of Professional Communication Among Public Library Specialists

The purpose of the article is to study the role of social media in the process of professional communication among public library specialists. Research methods. The methods of analysis and synthesis were used, which contributed to a comprehensive understanding of the processes of using social media in public libraries in Ukraine. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the introduction of data on the peculiarities of using social media in public libraries of Ukraine as platforms for presenting their professional activities and improving their reputation, establishing and deepening professional contacts and creating professional collaborations, exchanging professional information and experience, and improving their skills. The article summarises the data on the activities of leading public libraries in Ukraine in using social media to promote their goals, attract readers and communicate professionally. The main trends in the use of social media for professional communication by public library professionals are identified. Conclusions. It has been concluded that the professional communication of public library specialists is a special kind of semantic communication that serves to transfer professional knowledge and is implemented in a specific library environment or library space. As a channel of professional communication, social media is a new promising type of organisational and production structure and at the same time an electronic resource. In the process of professional communication, public libraries of Ukraine use social media, which are not only platforms, access points to resources or the main interface of public libraries, but also a platform for presenting information and interacting among the professional library community.

Digital Projects in the Library Field of Ukraine

The purpose of the article is to identify their features, effectiveness, and problems of implementation based on a study of digital projects in the library sector of Ukraine in the early 20s of the twenty-first century. Research methods. The general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, generalisation, and information methods were applied, which made it possible to achieve the goal. The scientific novelty of the results obtained is a comprehensive study of digital projects in the library sector of Ukraine; clarification of the peculiarities of digitalisation of Ukrainian libraries in times of war; clarification of the main categories, such as digital, electronic and virtual library; introduction of information about projects from online sources into scientific circulation. Conclusions. In the current conditions of rapid development of information technologies, the principles of library space organisation, methods of library and information activities, and resource support for library collections are being rethought; libraries are striving to use all the possibilities of digitalisation in their activities. This is facilitated by digital library projects focused primarily on the digitisation of documentary heritage, the digitalisation of user service processes, and the creation of new types of libraries: digital, electronic, virtual, etc. Libraries are becoming new modern information hubs and digital education centres for users. Library projects have become especially important and widespread since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and full-scale Russian aggression. The article focuses on the joint projects of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Library Association in the development of digital literacy within the framework of the national project “Diia. Digital Education”, the projects “Digitalisation of Libraries” and “Capacity Building of Libraries – Digital Education Hubs”, etc. However, in the process of implementing the projects, there are difficulties and problems related to the digital divide, the lack of computers and special digitisation devices in a number of libraries, and the lack of qualified staff capable of working with virtual users in the new conditions of digitalisation of society, which requires the organisation of training and retraining courses. The problems of digitalisation of Ukrainian libraries of various types in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war require further research.

A Qualitative Study on University Students’ Restorative Experience of the Library Space Environment

Currently, university students are facing high levels of stress and negativity. Creating a campus learning environment that promotes students’ physical and mental health and well-being has become a key focus of current research. There is now a wealth of research proving that the natural attributes of learning spaces are highly restorative for university students, both physically and mentally. In order to comprehensively clarify the characteristics of the library spatial environment that has a restorative effect on university students, this paper conducted semi-structured interviews with 50 university students and thematically analyzed the data obtained from these interviews. Ultimately, we identified five key themes: (1) Being away: students believe that studying alone is a way to escape social pressures, immersing themselves in their studies helps them forget everything around them, and the view from the window creates a sense of detachment; (2) Extent: students perceive the design of the library space as rich and orderly; (3) Fascination: many elements of the library spatial environment appeal to them and make them feel energized. The overall atmosphere motivates them to engage more actively in their learning; (4) Compatibility: the library spatial environment provides a variety of facilities that meet their learning needs, along with various types of spaces catering for different behaviors; and (5) Biophilia: Many interviewees mentioned the benefits of natural environments and timber, as well as their preference for spaces with a sufficient sense of enclosure and the ability to observe others. The first four themes were found to be closely related to the Attention Restorative Theory during the course of the study, while the last theme was mentioned by most of the students. The results of this study prove that library spaces can be described as restorative environments in the same way as natural environments, with both physical and mental restorative effects. Furthermore, the results of this study can also provide certain ideas for the design and renovation of the internal spatial environment of university libraries.

Investigating library users’ perceived indoor environmental quality: SEM-Logit analysis study in a university library

This study aims to identify the key factors that influence library users’ satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in a contemporary university library, focusing on both perceived IEQ and individual user characteristics. Through a thorough literature review, it pinpoints indoor environment quality (IEQ) and individual users characteristics as critical influences of satisfaction. Data were collected from 404 users within four specific study areas of a selected university library. The study employs structural equation modeling (SEM) and generalized ordered logistic regression (GOLRM), to examine the relationships between perceived IEQ factors and user satisfaction. The SEM showed a good fit and highlighted significant impacts of acoustic quality (coefficient = 0.24, p < 0.01) and interior design (coefficient = 0.65, p < 0.001) on satisfaction. GOLRM analysis revealed that factors such as “age” (odds ratio = 0.810, p = 0.039), “feeling” (odds ratio = 1.420, p = 0.017), and “location (6th floor group-based study area)” (odds ratio = 2.844, p = 0.004) significantly enhance satisfaction, though advancing from medium to higher satisfaction levels poses challenges. These insights suggest that customizing library spaces to meet diverse user needs can markedly improve satisfaction. The study underscores the importance of integrating environmental and personal factors in library design and showcases the effectiveness of SEM and GOLRM in exploring complex interactions within built environments. This approach offers a valuable framework for designers and facility managers to align library spaces with user expectations, making a substantial contribution to the field of built environmental design research.

Research on Library Space Construction and Services under the Background of Smart Library

The rapid development and application of the new generation of digital intelligence technology, as well as the continuous growth of users' personalized needs, promote the continuous innovation and reform of library functions and services. Especially with the rise of the meta-universe, the service mode of traditional library is undergoing innovation and reshaping from document service to information service, knowledge service and space service. As a "constantly growing organism", in the process of accelerating technological upgrading and deepening humanistic concepts, the concept, connotation, characteristics and construction path of smart space also develop and change. This paper mainly studies the transformation of library space construction and service under the background of the development of new generation technology and the construction of smart library, so as to better guide the development of smart space.

The updated design of university libraries in the digital era

AbstractWith the rise of the digital era, digital reading and learning have become widespread. University libraries, as core locations for study and communication, face challenges in fully meeting the demands of modern teaching and learning. This paper takes the library at the Changqing campus of Shandong University of Arts as a case study to explore the environmental space design of constructed libraries in the digital era. By reviewing relevant concepts and theoretical frameworks, analyzing the existing environment, and researching intervention design methods, the paper discusses the positive role of adapting to the digital future in renovating established library spaces.

Assessing Users’ Demand for Library Space: Insights from an Architecture School

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a post-occupancy evaluation to assess users’ feedback on the use of the architecture school library at Thammasat University, Thailand. The proposed study also has a specific objective: to explore users’ demand for library space in terms of academic library attributes. A case study of the library in the Faculty of Architecture and Planning was conducted at Thammasat University. Multiple data collection methods were used, including document analysis, a questionnaire survey, a workshop, and focus group interviews, to gather information on users’ demand for the library space. The findings confirm the relevance of the variables in the conceptual model from previous studies, which encompass three key attributes regarding users’ demand for library space: physical, social, and digital spaces. Functional obsolescence and changing learning approaches are revealed as dominant influential factors affecting users’ demand for library space. The connection between post-occupancy evaluation (POE) and pre-design evaluation (PDE) in the redevelopment of a real estate project is considered as a shift from performance measurement to performance management, assisting in establishing agreed-upon performance goals for the operation. This study’s findings, derived from a single case study, do affect affect generalisability. However, the study provides insights into academic library design and renovation by emphasising the alignment of library spaces with user needs for improved service effectiveness and user satisfaction. The research introduces an integration of POE and PDE, proposing a methodological framework for future library space redevelopment that could contribute to the broader discussion on library design and user experience.

The role of Ukrainian zemstvos in the formation of their public library space

This research into the participation of local self-government bodies in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries in the formation of Ukraine’s public library space is crucial given the need to study the factors that influenced the creation of Ukrainian book culture, national consciousness, and state-building. This study aims to characterise the role of Ukrainian zemstvo self-government bodies in the establishment of the Ukrainian public library space during the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The research methodology is based on the principles of scientific rigour, historicism, sociocultural and modernisation approaches, as well as general scientific (induction, logic, analysis, synthesis) and specifically historical methods: narrative, historical-genetic, and structural-functional analysis. The cultural and educational development of the Ukrainian village by zemstvos, a component of which was their public library work, from the 1860s until the fall of the Russian Empire, was a major direction of activity of these self-governing institutions, upon whose success the national progress of Ukrainians depended. In this sphere, the foundation was laid for the future public space of the Dnieper Ukraine. The establishment, at the expense of zemstvos and through their organisational efforts, of public libraries with broad, free access for all village residents, alongside the development of rural schools, was the alpha and omega of peasant Ukrainian life at that time. It shaped the region’s book culture and elevated the social activity of the largest social class. Thanks to the democratic zemstvo intelligentsia, during the revolution of 1905-1907, demands were made to increase the network of rural libraries, cooperation between zemstvos and Prosvitas expanded, and the Ukrainian printed word became more entrenched. The emergence of peasant republics in 1905, one of which was in Sumy, where peasants published a newspaper declaring the tsarist authority abolished, against the backdrop of zemstvo achievements in expanding the network of public libraries and education, demonstrated that the early 20th century marked an intensification of public library development in Ukrainian villages. This period also saw the maturation of the national consciousness among peasants and laid the groundwork for the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917-1921, a pivotal stage in Ukraine’s state-building efforts. The study of this topic will contribute to understanding the role of local self-government bodies in the functioning of Ukraine’s public library space under modern conditions, national identification among Ukrainians, and their consolidation in the face of hostile invasions

Library Anxiety: How Elements of Morrison’s Fourth Place and the Fast Casual Approach from the Restaurant Industry May Make the Academic Library Space More Inviting

Library Anxiety: How Elements of Morrison’s Fourth Place and the Fast Casual Approach from the Restaurant Industry May Make the Academic Library Space More Inviting

ANALYSING LIBRARY USAGE PATTERNS: A VISUAL EXPLORATION OF BOOK LOAN AND ROOM RESERVATION TRENDS

Library usage refers to how users interact with library resources and spaces, including borrowing books, reserving study rooms, navigating library spaces, and using digital resources. Analysing library usage patterns helps libraries optimise resources, improve services, and better meet the needs of their users. This study aims to visually explore the patterns in book loan activities and room reservation behaviours using the R programming language to identify trends that provide preliminary data for decision-making when establishing library operational policies. Annual book loan and room reservation data from 2017 to 2023 from Perpustakaan Sultanah Bahiyah, Library of Universiti Utara Malaysia, were collected and converted into a compatible R-analysis format. The analysis includes exploratory data analysis and visualisation using base R functions, base R graphics, and ggplot2 functionality. The findings, such as annual book loan rates, trends in book loan rates between undergraduate and postgraduate students, frequency of room reservation discussions across years, and the relationship between book loans and room reservations over time, serve as foundational data to support decision-making for the efficient operation of libraries and to inform strategies for optimising library services and resources to meet user needs better.

Physical condition survey of a rare book collection: a case study of “X” Museum Library in Jakarta, Indonesia

Purpose Rare book collections are special, not only in terms of their physical appearance but also because of their historical significance and the information they contain. The purpose of this study is twofold: to identify the physical condition of rare book collections and to determine the main causes of damage to rare books collection that belongs to a museum library in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach This research involved conducting a survey of the physical condition of the collection of rare books owned by a museum library in Indonesia. Supporting data was also obtained through interviews with one of the staff who served as the museum collection conservator. This study used random sampling to take samples from the collection, which consisted of 950 rare books, with total sample of 91. Findings The results obtained state that the condition of the existing rare book collection is classified as severely damaged. One of the causes of damage that can be addressed immediately is the cleaning regime: the collection and library space should be cleaned thoroughly and regularly so that dust and dirt in and around the rare book collection can be reduced. Research limitations/implications This research was limited to physical identification, which can be done easily because it does not require various kinds of laboratory tests. It was a case study examining a single collection in a single museum library. The pool of books from which the samples were taken was therefore relatively homogenous. Therefore, it is hoped that further research can identify other factors and types of damage in more detail so that all damage to rare book collections can be identified and mitigated. Originality/value Research discussing the condition of rare book collections, especially for special libraries in museums in Indonesia, is still very limited. Detailed surveys of the physical condition of collections, especially rare book collections in museums, have rarely been discussed by previous research. The work will contribute to assessing the physical condition of rare book collections.

Availability of Library Services in the Russian Federation: Monitoring Results of the National Library of Russia

The article presents an analysis of statistical data of the National Library of Russia (NLR) monitoring, characterizing the availability of library services in the Russian Federation. It names factors influencing the accessibility of library services: a developed network of out-of-station and mobile service points, provision of transport vehicles, optimal operating hours of libraries, accessibility of library premises (accessible environment) for people with disabilities (HH) and inclusive library space, developed digital library infrastructure providing services to readers remotely. Since the huge volume of statistical data makes it impossible to consider all aspects of the accessibility of Russian libraries within the framework of the article, its objective is to give a comparative analysis of some of them (coverage of the population of the Russian Federation with library services, the number of people per a public library, distribution of non-stationary service points across Russian regions, provision networks of public libraries by transport, operating hours of library institutions and reduced work schedules of specialists and their variations in frames of the RF subjects). The work states that the availability of library services to the population is a condition for ensuring the quality of the population life. The problems of accessibility of Russian library services could be solved by modernizing the network of municipal libraries, improving the transport and digital infrastructure and organizing the comfortable library space to all categories of citizens. The materials can be used by regional departments of culture when planning the modernization of library institutions’ network.

Designing for Communities with Communities: A Public Library Codesign Project

ABSTRACT Codesigning public library spaces is often limited to consulting with end-users rather than giving them a role as actual co-designers. This article advocates for more genuine codesign of public library spaces and critically examines the prevalent challenges in achieving true codesign in public library developments. The article introduces a two-year Australian Research Council Linkage research project, ‘Designing for Communities with Communities’. The project aims to provide public library staff with a set of codesign tools they can adapt for their own particular projects. Using comparative case studies, the project will also identify the challenges of integrating codesign into the development of public library spaces, and key factors in the effectiveness of projects that seek their communities’ inputs and engagement. This article introduces the theory of participatory and codesign, and sets out the basic conceptual framework for the project. It also reports on its initial stages, including preliminary interviews with key protagonists and preliminary user surveys about existing spaces. Moreover, the article discusses the design of the case studies’ community workshops, where most of the actual codesigning will take place, with an extensive discussion and analysis of the activities that could be included in these workshops.

Towards User-Centred Framework for Reconfiguring Library Spaces in the Global South: Case of Kenyan Universities

In the global sphere, there is a trend that is gaining momentum in university libraries, and that is the shifting nature of the physical library spaces. The transition from print to electronic resources is among the issues influencing the shifting of library spaces. The change in pedagogy, where learning activities now lay emphasis on collaboration and group projects, necessitates new requirements in physical library spaces to rhyme with the new purposes and learning styles that better meet users’ needs. Unfortunately, the available library space reconfiguring frameworks are inclined to the global north, which may not be suitable for the global south countries such as Kenya. It is on this strength that this paper seeks to explore how to attain user-centred university library spaces in the global south that meet the needs and wants of the users. The main objective of this paper is to propose a framework for reconfiguring university library spaces. The paper intended to achieve this by exploring suggestions on additional spaces and facilities to be included in the library, identifying attractive spaces and features of a library, exploring projections of the future outlook of the library, and examining elements of a desirable model space for university libraries in Kenya. The methodology employed a pragmatic research philosophy and multiple case studies. Data was collected from students, academic staff, librarians and university librarians. The qualitative data was thematically analysed, while the quantitative data used descriptive statistics. Based on the findings, the study proposed a user-centred framework for reconfiguring university library spaces in Kenya.

Research on Energy-saving Design for University Library Spaces in Cold Regions

With the popularization of open-shelf reading in university library, the change of use mode leads to the change of space mode, and gradually develops from corridor mode to large-scale and deep composite centralized space organization mode. However, the large and deep open reading space and atrium space in university libraries increasingly rely on artificial lighting, mechanical ventilation and mechanical temperature regulation to meet the comfort needs of space thermal environment. Moreover, the improper control of passive design strategy in the early stage further leads to the reduction of indoor thermal environment comfort and the increase of building energy consumption. In the early stage of architectural design, through reasonable passive space layout design, the use of air conditioning equipment can be greatly reduced, energy consumption can be reduced, and the goal of green development can be achieved. Through extensive collection and analysis of 23 university libraries built in cold climate region, by making a statistical study on the building type, building area, number of floors, building scale and building plane aspect ratio, summarizing and extracts the prototype. Referring to the typical cases in cold climate area, two core groups that reading spatial variable group and atrium spatial variable group are proposed by controlling a single variable, in which each group has four plane layout modes. The dynamic energy consumption simulation software DesignBuilder is used to simulate the annual cooling, heating and lighting load of each group in cold climate region, and the results are converted into energy consumption values for analysis. The final results show that among the four combination modes of reading spatial variable group, the overall energy consumption of compound type is the smallest, and the energy-saving rate is the highest, up to 3.71%. The overall energy consumption of parallel type and surround type is little difference, and the overall energy consumption of surround type is the highest. The energy-saving rate of the four groups of reading modes is as follows: compound type &gt; decentralized type &gt; parallel type &gt; surround type. The total energy consumption of the atrium partial staggered floor group is lower than that of the non staggered floor group. Among the four combination modes of the atrium spatial variable group, the overall energy consumption of the organization form of the atrium partial staggered floor to the south is the smallest, the energy-saving rate is the highest, reaching 5.84%, and the energy-saving rate of the atrium partial staggered floor to the north is the lowest. Therefore, in the preliminary scheme design stage, low-performance spaces such as traffic auxiliary space can be placed at the building boundary to form a buffer zone similar to the transition space, so as to alleviate the negative impact of the external adverse climate environment on the internal space. At the same time, it can be considered to carry out partial staggered floor design of the atrium, and give priority to arranging the atrium on the south side, which is not only conducive to reducing the overall energy consumption of the building and achieving the energy-saving goal, but also enhance the diversification of vertical sections and promote the interest of the internal space of modern university libraries.

Machine Learning-Guided Optimization of p-Coumaric Acid Production in Yeast.

Industrial biotechnology uses Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycles to accelerate the development of microbial cell factories, required for the transition to a biobased economy. To use them effectively, appropriate connections between the phases of the cycle are crucial. Using p-coumaric acid (pCA) production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a case study, we propose the use of one-pot library generation, random screening, targeted sequencing, and machine learning (ML) as links during DBTL cycles. We showed that the robustness and flexibility of the ML models strongly enable pathway optimization and propose feature importance and Shapley additive explanation values as a guide to expand the design space of original libraries. This approach allowed a 68% increased production of pCA within two DBTL cycles, leading to a 0.52 g/L titer and a 0.03 g/g yield on glucose.

Interaction, Integration, Sectoral and Corporate Projects: Results of the All-Russian Library Forum

The Annual Meeting of Heads of Federal and Central Regional Libraries of Russia was held in Moscow on November 28—29, 2023. The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Library and the Russian National Library. The Russian State Children’s Library took part in the preparation and holding of the meeting.The participants of the largest forum in the industry were heads and specialists from all eight federal districts of Russia (Central, North-West, South, North Caucasus, Volga, Ural, Siberian, Far East). Colleagues from the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Zaporozhye region and Kherson region made presentations. 77 regions of the Russian Federation were represented at the meeting. Specialists from the Republic of Serbia were also participants in the event. The meeting was held in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person and remote participation. Over the two days of its work, 300 in-person participants and 3,724 remote participants were registered.The main theme of the Annual Meeting of Heads of Federal and Central Regional Libraries of Russia 2024 was “Working together to create a successful future for libraries: sectoral projects, interaction, integration, sharing best practices”. The programme included five main thematic blocks: “Together. Integration of libraries of the new subjects of the Russian Federation into the library space of the country: plans and ongoing projects”, seminar-meeting “Educational and personnel policy of the industry”, “Development of the library fund: acquisition, disclosure, preservation”, “Digital transformation, artificial intelligence, neural networks for libraries, formation of the Russian electronic knowledge space”, “Modernization of libraries”.The topics discussed and the number of participants in the meeting in recent years testify to the increasing consolidation of the industry and the unflagging interest in this event.

Interaction, Integration, Sectoral and Corporate Projects: Results of the All-Russian Library Forum

The Annual Meeting of Heads of Federal and Central Regional Libraries of Russia was held in Moscow on November 28—29, 2023. The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Library and the Russian National Library. The Russian State Children’s Library took part in the preparation and holding of the meeting.The participants of the largest forum in the industry were heads and specialists from all eight federal districts of Russia (Central, North-West, South, North Caucasus, Volga, Ural, Siberian, Far East). Colleagues from the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Zaporozhye region and Kherson region made presentations. 77 regions of the Russian Federation were represented at the meeting. Specialists from the Republic of Serbia were also participants in the event. The meeting was held in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person and remote participation. Over the two days of its work, 300 in-person participants and 3,724 remote participants were registered.The main theme of the Annual Meeting of Heads of Federal and Central Regional Libraries of Russia 2024 was “Working together to create a successful future for libraries: sectoral projects, interaction, integration, sharing best practices”. The programme included five main thematic blocks: “Together. Integration of libraries of the new subjects of the Russian Federation into the library space of the country: plans and ongoing projects”, seminar-meeting “Educational and personnel policy of the industry”, “Development of the library fund: acquisition, disclosure, preservation”, “Digital transformation, artificial intelligence, neural networks for libraries, formation of the Russian electronic knowledge space”, “Modernization of libraries”.The topics discussed and the number of participants in the meeting in recent years testify to the increasing consolidation of the industry and the unflagging interest in this event.

CIS Cross-Border Libraries: Updating the Concept Paper to Strengthen Co-Operation

The experience of the Russian State Library in cooperation with the libraries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states in developing a document regulating cross-border co-operation is presented. It shows the stages of updating the “Concept of Information and Library Space Formation on the Basis of Cross-border Libraries of the CIS Member States” (2009) within the framework of the long-term interstate project of the Eurasia Library Assembly on creation of the normative and conceptual basis of interlibrary cooperation in the CIS. The “Concept...” is harmonised with the universally recognised principles and norms of international law. It reflects the process of inclusion of libraries of border regions of CIS member states in co-operation with libraries of neighbouring countries. Specialists of CIS libraries took an active part in the development of the document. The Concept of Development of Library and Information Space on the Basis of Cross-Border Libraries of CIS Member States (2023) clarifies the purpose and some basic concepts related to the activities of libraries in cross-border cooperation. The definition of “library and information space on the basis of cross-border libraries of the CIS member states” was developed, which is considered as a system of interacting subjects — libraries, library networks, library associations, library staff. The aim of library and information space development is to provide conditions for strengthening interregional and cross-border co-operation. Libraries create and promote various information resources, organise library and information services for the multinational population of border areas to enhance intercultural and professional communication. In the document 2023 the possibilities of subjects of interlibrary cooperation are expanded at the expense of interregional cooperation. The following are defined as subjects of the library and information space: publicly accessible border libraries of the CIS member states, central universal libraries of the border regions, national libraries of the CIS member states. The updated “Concept...” shows the tasks and principles of development, mechanisms and expected results of its implementation. The role of the CIS coordinating bodies in the formation of legislative and regulatory framework for the libraries of the CIS member states is important. Prospects for improving this base lie in the regulation of interregional and cross-border co-operation. To strengthen cooperation it is necessary to reveal the intercultural potential of the CIS member states, to provide scientific and methodological support to cross-border libraries, etc.