State Library Research Articles

Digital navigation pilots in four public libraries

This article is written by Christine Gauvreau, a Consultant with the Connecticut State Library’s Division of Library Development. By supplying pilot project subawards of $100,000 in Institute of Museum and Library Services American Rescue Plan Act funds to four public libraries, the Connecticut State Library facilitated the collection of qualitative data demonstrating the need for and impact of libraries offering digital navigation appointments to residents in need of an internet connection, a laptop, technical skills to operate the computer, and/or digital literacy skills. Libraries learned that three part-time digital navigators for a nine-month period could serve and satisfy hundreds of residents, contribute greatly to enlarging the digital ecosystem in a town, and lay the foundation for sustainable programs.

Microsoft 365 Apps for Library Statistics

ABSTRACT The role and responsibilities of medical librarians are not always clear to leadership and stakeholders. Providing clear and meaningful data demonstrates the value of medical librarians. Securing funding to purchase a data tracking system on the market can be challenging if not impossible for librarians with limited budgets. The objective of this project was to build a data tracking system using Microsoft 365 applications provided by the institution for no additional cost. As an industry standard, many institutions have site-wide subscriptions to a suite of Microsoft tools including productivity, collaboration and cloud services. This includes Microsoft 365, with over 20 applications available. The authors reviewed individual applications and conducted trials before selecting three, namely Microsoft Forms, Excel, and Power BI, to work together effectively to input, analyze, and report library statistics. The final data tracking system integrates within Teams for easy sharing within the institution without additional funding.

Changing Scenario of Information Needs of Library Users with Special Reference to Women B.Ed Institutions in Jhunjhunu City

Women B.Ed. Institution in Jhunjhunu city in Rajasthan state library being considered as knowledge hub caters to the information needs of diverse categories of users like library users, research scholars, scientists, teachers, etc. by providing access to wide variety of learning resources. Apart from print resources Women B.Ed. Institution in Jhunjhunu city in Rajasthan state libraries are increasingly adding electronic resources like E-Books, E-Journals, E-Theses, databases, E-Standards, Institutional repositories, consortia, online public access catalogue and other networked resources to their collections which have been widely used nowadays as primarily for teaching, learning as well as research activities. Since the Library users are not involved in any kind of research work thus presumed to make use of most resources of books/notes/ e-books to fulfill their academic need The present review study is being conducted to ascertain the kind of information resources mostly used by the Library users and further to know their changing scenario level about resources & services of the library. It is basically a systematic review of studies conducted in the past to know their changing scenario level; information needs behavior and attitude towards different resources used in achieving the academic goals

Словарь речений из богослужебных книг прот. А. И. Невоструева (пава — пернатый)

The Dictionary of words from liturgical books” by Archpriest A. Nevostruev which was completed in the middle of the XIXth century and has never been published can be regarded both as a significant achievement of Church Slavonic studies and a unique lexicographic source. The manuscript can be found in Russian State Library. The manuscript’s conditions predetermined the necessity of complex preliminary research and editorial efforts. The significance of the planned study is in introduction of the text previously almost unavailable to linguists. The manuscript’s orthography and grammar reflecting the linguistic views of that time can be of great interest for those who specialize in the history of linguistic studies. The article contains another part of materiel on “M” letter. The content features of the dictionary’s publishing, the list of sources, the list of abbreviations and symbols are described in detail in the previous editions of the “PSTGU Review” serie “Philology”. Besids, all previous editions and the lists of abbreviations with the list of sources separately can be found on web-site of PSTGU

N.A. Rubakin and the Russian Bibliographic Society

The article discusses aspects of cooperation of the outstanding figure of the book N.A. Rubakin (1862–1946) with the Russian Bibliographic Society in the 1910s — 1920s. The author analyzes the history of the publication of the scientist’s articles in the journal «Bibliograficheskiye izvestiya», reading his reports at the meetings of the society. The research was carried out based on the bibliographer’s archive materials kept at the Department of Manuscripts of the Russian State Library.

Exploring Renewable Energy Facility and Green Building Practices for Improved Archives Preservation in Public Libraries in Rivers State

This study explored renewable energy facility and green building practices for improved archives preservation in public libraries in Rivers state. Two objectives, composed of research questions and hypotheses, were the basis for this study. A descriptive survey design was used for the study, with a target population of 514 library staff from both Rivers State Library Board (RSLB) and Jubilee Library Port Harcourt (JLP). With the help of Taro Yamane's sample size determination formula, 399 sample members were chosen using both stratified and random sampling techniques (227 staff from RSLB and 172 from JLP). The data collection instrument used was a self-made questionnaire titled ‘Renewable Energy and Green Building for Public Library Archives Preservation’; its face- and content-validity was approved by three experts. Cronbach Alpha reliability estimation yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.78 for this instrument. Mean and Standard Deviation were employed to answer the research questions, while z-test was used to conduct the inferential statistics. The findings revealed that Rivers state libraries can preserve archives with renewable energy and green building practices, such as solar power, passive ventilation, native landscaping, water-efficient fixtures and regulated humidity. Based on the findings, it can be concluded and recommended that incorporating renewable energy into green building practices can significantly preserve archives in public libraries. More so, public libraries in Rivers state should collaborate with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, batteries, wind turbines) to improve archives preservation.

Personal chapter in the popular biobibliographic essays

The article deals with the features of the structure of the personal chapter (chapters-personalities) in modern popular bio-bibliographic essays. Prospects for further practical work on the creation of modern heads-personalities are outlined. It is told about the bibliographic manual of the modern sample which is currently being worked on. The research is based on more than half a century of recommendatory bibliographic activity of the Russian State Library. The material used for the study was the bibliographic production of this library, dedicated to fiction and first of all to the domestic literature.

Преконцепционная подготовка мужчин: роль питания и комплексов нутриентов. Часть 1.

Introduction. One of the reasons for the decline in the reproductive function of men is an unbalanced diet. This review is devoted to the assessment of the role of such nutrients as vitamin E, L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10, zinc, selenium and arginine in the occurrence of male infertility: their role in spermatogenesis and the possibility of clinical application are shown. Materials and methods. Publications from domestic and international databases (Russian State Library, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) were analyzed: original studies, relevant chapters in collective monographs available to the authors, reviews, incl. Cochrane, meta-analyses over the last 20 years. When searching in electronic databases, the following keywords were used: male infertility, food products, oxidative stress, male infertility therapy, nutrients, incl. the name of individual substances: carnitines, ubiquinone/coenzyme Q10, selenium, zinc, vitamin E, arginine in various combinations. Results. From the standpoint of fundamental sciences (physiology and biochemistry) and, at the same time, data from clinical medicine, the role of various nutrients in the implementation of male reproductive function, as well as their use for preconception preparation of men, is considered. A quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of isolated and complex use of these nutrients to increase the concentration and mobility, improve morphology, reduce oxidative stress and DNA damage in spermatozoa is given. Conclusion. Nutrients play an important role in metabolic processes during the formation and maturation of spermatozoa. Their deficiency leads to impaired reproductive function, and additional intake in the form of dietary supplements can lead to an increase in the likelihood of pregnancy and live births due to improved motility, concentration and fragmentation of sperm DNA. At the same time, today it is difficult to give any clear recommendations for their use as a therapy in infertile men. A significant number of studies lack randomized and placebo-controlled groups. Randomized controlled trials of sufficient power, taking into account the deficiency of individual nutrients, should be planned to clarify the indications for the use of specific dietary supplements in the concept training of men.

100 years flashback

100 years flashback

Library Network Security Measures As Determinants of Archives Preservation in Public Libraries in Rivers State, Nigeria

This study examined available library network security measures as determinants of archives preservation in public libraries in Rivers state. The descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The target population of the study comprised 514 library staff drawn from Rivers State library board and staff from Jubilee library Port Harcourt. The sample size for this study was 399 library staff comprising 227 staff from Rivers state library board and 172 library staff from Jubilee library Port Harcourt. An instrument titled library network security measures for archives preservation questionnaire was used for data collection. Face validity of the instrument was ensured by three experts. The instrument consists of 10 items of 2 sections. The instrument yielded reliability coefficients of 0.79 with the use of Cronbach Alpha reliability method. The findings indicated that, among other things, encryption technologies such as firewall protection and secure logins are part of the library’s network security measures that are employed to preserve archives in public libraries in Rivers state, Nigeria. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that public libraries in Rivers state are not lacking security features that would help preserve archives via a networked security system. However, the security measures were not effectively employed because staff members’ security training was not sufficiently available. As a result, it was recommended that more training in security should be provided to staff in all of the public libraries in Rivers state.

Remembering LHRT

Remembering LHRT

E. J. Josey: Transformational Leader of the Modern Library Profession

E. J. Josey: Transformational Leader of the Modern Library Profession

Bibliotheken von Frauen: Ein Lexikon

Bibliotheken von Frauen: Ein Lexikon

Стратегические приоритеты развития библиотечного дела (на материалах Российской государственной библиотеки)

As a result of economic digitalization, the library acts a social institution that performs an extremely important adaptive function: it improves social stability by preserving, exchanging, and disseminating the accumulated spiritual, scientific, and technical potential. As a result, libraries need innovative management approaches. In particular, they need a long-term cultural policy to create a single information space for authors, readers, publishers, and book traders. The digital economy offers new opportunities to provide an expanded list of services that go in line with the interests and needs of various categories of readers. The author used the strategizing methodology developed by Professor V.L. Kvint as a universal tool for building advanced development strategies. The approach made it possible to form a new library innovation management system. The OTSW method provided new program activities for the development strategy of the Russian State Library and revealed its innovative potential. The analysis also made it possible to prioritize the temporal and strategic goals, as well as to identify the promising development technologies. The resulting principles define the development strategy of a modern library as a center of digital competencies and new electronic services. The article introduces the practical methods and their application procedure to enhance the existing and potential opportunities of libraries.

M. I. Akilina – Scientist and Person

The Biography of the well-known Russian librarian and scientist Maria Ivanovna Akilina is presented. It is prepared on the basis of her autobiography and other documents of the Human Resources Department of the Russian State Library. The main scientific works of M. I. Akilina are characterized. The subjects of scientific works of the scientist are revealed: scientific and methodological activity of libraries, theoretical problems of library science, national libraries of the republics of the Russian Federation and central libraries of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, mass, rural libraries. The periodicals in which M. I. Akilina published, her awards are named. The personal qualities of Maria Ivanovna are shown.

Книги из Софийской библиотеки в собрании кирилловских книг Российской государственной библиотеки

The article tires to identify early printed editions from Novgorod churches and monasteries as part of the Russian State Library (RSL) collection. It shows the way they got to the RSL and provides a method for their attribution. In the XVIII century, the books were collected in the St. Sophia Cathedral library in Novgorod. In the middle of the XIX century, some of them were brought to the library of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. In the 1870s, the idea of exchanging book duplicates between the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev’s Museums arose. It was supported by His Eminence Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, Novgorod and Finland Isidore. In 1874, the Rumyantsev’s Museum received 126 books. Among them, there were books from the Kirillo-Belozersk Monastery, the Sofia Library and some items of an unknown origin (without owner's signs). The article shows the methodology and process of attribution the books from Novgorod monasteries and churches based on the study of owners’ signs (for example, dedicatory inscriptions, authographs and other notes) taking in account the history of the Sofia Library collection. There were some contributions from the nobility, for example, D. M. Bashmakov, a statesman of the 17th century; or Princess Natalia Kirillovna, a mother of Peter I, who made a donation to the Novgorod Convent of Great martyr Euphemia the Glorious. This fact allows us to look at the history of monastic libraries in a more detailed way exploring their parts. The attribution of the books of Novgorod origin at the RSL collection illustrates the research method for regional Cyrillic book collections, which for the most part remains unexplored.Keywords: the early Cyrillic printed books, the Sofia Library, Novgorod Books, editions of the Moscow Printing House, the history of libraries, St. Petersburg Theological Academy, monastic and church libraries, books of Ancient Russia, regional collections of old printed books.

Rumyantsev Museum and Its Library: Controversy, Reorganization, Disbandment (1917—1921)

In 2022, the Russian State Library (RSL) celebrates the 160th anniversary of the Rumyantsev Museum, which has changed its status and official name several times throughout its history (after the February Revolution of 1917 — the State Rumyantsev Museum). The article considers the internal processes that took place in the Museum at the beginning of the 20th century, which resulted in its disbandment in 1918—1921 and the formation of the main library of the country based on its book holdings. This determines the scientific novelty of the study, which for the first time raises questions about the causes of these events. The source base of the research is the materials of the RSL Archive. For the first time, the author introduces into scientific circulation the official notes of employees, designed to make the necessary changes to get out of the critical situation in which the largest cultural centre of Moscow turned out to be before 1917 and in the post-revolutionary period. The presented notes were written by two groups of specialists of the museum, who proposed divergent ways of its further existence. Some of the staff considered it necessary to preserve the integrity of the museum and its further development. Another group insisted on the separation of the library from the museum and on its obtaining the status of an independent institution. For the first time, the article also introduces into scientific circulation the archival documents of the “Minutes Meetings of the Scientific Council” (later the Collegium) of the State Rumyantsev Museum, covering the stages of making decision on the disbandment and further transfer of the monuments of the museum’s branches to other institutions throughout the country. The documents from the RSL Archive reflect the controversy on this issue. In the wake of social changes, the internal museum disputes have gone beyond its borders. When discussing projects, representatives of the central libraries and the new Government spoke out in support of transformation. The process of finding the way out of the crisis situation led to the disbandment of the State Rumyantsev Museum and the formation of the All-Union Public Library named after V.I. Lenin (then, the V.I. Lenin State Library of the USSR, and nowadays the Russian State Library) based on its book collections.

Publishing Trends in Russia, the Top Projects and Authors of 2022

The author analyses participation of the Russian State Library (RSL) in the International Fair of Intellectual Literature non/fictio№ 24, which took place on December 1—5, 2022. The paper presents the review of new scientific publications of the RSL “Pashkov Dom” Publishing House. The top list of the non/fictio№ 24 includes two new publications of the RSL “Pashkov Dom”: the book devoted to L.M. Koval “The Keeper of the History of Leninka” (2021) and “The Art of Valery Pokatov: Pages of Life and Creative Work” (2021).In 2022, the Russian State Library celebrated the 160th anniversary of the opening of the Moscow Public Museum and the Rumyantsev Museum. The anniversary stand of the RSL presented publications on the history of the library, catalogues of the collections and exhibitions, issues of the journals “Observatory of Culture”, “Bibliotekovedenie” (Library Science), etc. The leaders of sales were the collection of articles “‘This very first seal was beautiful: round, dimensional, pureʼ. The book culture of the era of Peter the Great” (2022), the publication of the comedy by A.S. Griboyedov “Woe from Wit” (2022), the album-catalogue by S.P. Utva “Gifts of the Imperial House to the Moscow Public Museum and Rumyantsev Museum” (2022).Of particular note is the monograph “Essays on the Development of Bibliographic Activity of the Russian State Library” (2022) and the second edition of the collective work “Scientific Research in Libraries: Subject Themes, Organization, Presentation of Results” (2023).The article summarizes the publishing trends in Russia formulated by the experts on December 2, 2022 at the discussion “Digitalization of book production and the future of the industry, skills of forming a comprehensive publishing project” in the framework of non/fictio№ 24.The significant event of 2022 was the 17th season of the “Big Book” National Literary Award, established by the Centre for the Support of Russian Literature. The solemn ceremony of awarding the prize winners took place on December 8, 2022 at the Pashkov House of the Russian State Library.

Change Management: Library Discourse on Implementation of State Cultural Policy in the Current Conditions

On November 16—17, 2022, the Annual Meeting of the Heads of Federal and Central Regional Libraries of Russia was held at the National Library of Russia (St. Petersburg). The organizers of the meeting are the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the National Library of Russia and the Russian State Library. About 300 specialists attended the event in full-time mode from 76 regions of the Russian Federation, including the Donetsk Peopleʼs Republic and the Luhansk Peopleʼs Republic. During the two days of work, the participants presented 35 reports. The 2022 main topic is “Managing Changes in the Implementation of the ‘Strategy for the Development of Librarianship in the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030ʼ”. The participants relied in their speeches on the “Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values”, approved by the No. 809 Executive Order of the President of the Russian Federation of November 9, 2022. The event became the discussion site of the following issues: the library and the formation of socially responsible individual; the formation of strategies and programs for the development of libraries; the central library of the subject of the Russian Federation as the object of modernization; the formation and preservation of library collections. Among the presented draft documents developed as part of the implementation of the “Strategy for the Development of Librarianship in the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030” are “Quality standard for the modernization of a public municipal library”, “Unified concept of scientific and methodological support for libraries” and “Indicative regulations on the organization of research activities in libraries in Russia”. Special attention is paid to the issues of interaction with the Donetsk Republican Universal Scientific Library named after N.K. Krupskaya and Lugansk Republican Universal Scientific Library named after M. Gorky. There were summed up the results of the All-Russian competition “Librarian of the Year — 2022” and the All-Russian competition “Library Analytics”. Within the framework of the meeting, the exhibition “Library Context — 2022” was held. The Meeting of the Board of the Russian Library Association took place as a parallel event.

Information Support of the Cultural Sector: Achievements, Problems, Prospects

The 2nd International Scientific and Practical Online Conference “Information Context of Culture: Resources, Technologies, Service” was held on October 11—12, 2022. Conference organizers are the Russian State Library (RSL), the Russian State Library of Arts (RSLA) and St. Petersburg State Institute of Culture (SPSIC). The purpose of the event is to summarize scientific research and practical experience on the issues of information support in the cultural sector, demonstrate the best achievements, identify problems and ways to overcome them. The leitmotif of the forum was the topic of cooperation between libraries, archives and museums of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States. During two days of the forum, more than 80 representatives of the cultural sector from the RSL, the RSLA, the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library, the national libraries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, public libraries of almost two dozen regions of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, as well as from the universities of culture in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk, Tashkent, as well as from the South Ural State University, worked in video communication mode. During the event, more than 900 viewings of the broadcasts of the meetings were recorded on the RSL YouTube channel. Within the framework of the conference, there were held the plenary session, two sessions of the Section “Information potential of libraries for the development of the cultural sector” and two special events: The 12th Conference/Meeting of the heads and specialists of information services on culture and art “Libraries — in the Year of Cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia” and the Round table “Development of library and information space on the basis of border libraries of the CIS member states: conceptual approaches and advanced directions”. In order to improve the work on information support for representatives of the cultural and art sector, the conference participants recommended to promote digital transformation aimed at the formation of common access resources on culture and art and improvement of information services; as well as to strengthen cooperation on the formation and mutual use of information resources created by the libraries of the CIS member states.