State Library Research Articles

Web archives after platformization: reading social media collections along the archival grain

ABSTRACT This article draws on ethnographic and historical research at two Australian libraries to explore how the platformization of the web has altered the content, character, and potential future utility of web archives. I argue that, in attempting to collect social media, these libraries face a double bind: while web crawling undertaken at the National Library of Australia allows for immediate but often incomplete or inconsistent access, the API-based approach taken by the State Library of New South Wales constrains both the data collected and how it can be made accessible due to a shifting set of rules that are established and enforced by platforms. By examining the constraints of current strategies to collect, preserve, and make available social media content, I illustrate how changes to platform design and policies significantly influence what is included in web archives and how they are made available. As the ruptures and inconsistencies of collections of social media in web archives are often opaque to both creators of web archives and those using them, I argue that web archives can be read ‘along the archival grain’ for evidence of the platformization of the web. This approach, which draws on anthropologist Ann Stoler’s critical readings on the form and placement of colonial archives (rather than just their contents), allows an assessment of how the gaps, silences, densities, and distributions of web archives are shaped by the shifting power dynamics between different actors involved in the production, circulation, distribution, and use of information on the web.

ABLS Library of the State Library of North Carolina

The Accessible Books and Library Services (ABLS) Library of the State Library of North Carolina (SLNC) is a unique resource that caters to the needs of persons with a visual or print disability. Strategically located in Raleigh, North Carolina, it is a convenient hub for library professionals, including those from academic, public, school, and private libraries. The ABLS stands out for its diverse range of services, a wealth of information, and robust network, all used to assist and engage persons with visual and print disabilities.

Rennie Ellis: Melbourne Out Loud, State Library Victoria, 1 March 2024–28 January 2025

Rennie Ellis: Melbourne Out Loud, State Library Victoria, 1 March 2024–28 January 2025

The Writer and Time in the Russian Book: the Legacy of A.S. Pushkin at the Conference of the Russian State Library

The Writer and Time in the Russian Book: the Legacy of A.S. Pushkin at the Conference of the Russian State Library

Wyoming – Economic Diversification, the Creative Economy, and Wyoming Library Builds Business (LBB) Initiatives: Public, Academic & State Librarians in Collaboration with Innovators & Entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT In 2020, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the Libraries Build Business (LBB) grant initiative. Thirteen public library systems were selected to receive a total of $1.3 million to bolster their library’s entrepreneurial outreach. ALA and Google.org supported efforts to build capacity in libraries and library districts. Libraries in turn offered innovative programming, access to e-resources and developed services for local entrepreneurs and the business community. Libraries Build Business (LBB) objective was to identify library-led entrepreneurship models that would help lower-income and/or under-represented entrepreneurs, i.e. women and minorities to start and grow new businesses.

Сказкотерапия как поле междисциплинарного взаимодействия исследователей (по итогам состоявшейся в Российской государственной библиотеке дискуссии)

<p>On June 26, 2024, as part of the program of the XIII International Summer School “Evolution of Institutions for Self-Organization and Charity”, the Russian State Library for Young Adults held a discussion on "How to Form Positive Attitudes towards Philanthropy and Mutual Assistance?", which was attended by civil society researchers from Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Romania and the United Arab Emirates. The lively discussion focused on the methodology for using fairy tale therapy as a specific area of practical psychology to solve many social and cultural problems. In particular, the following question was highlighted: How fairy tales help develop social empathy, promote philanthropy in society and promote unity among people, and form attitudes towards charity and mutual assistance.</p>

“Rumyantsev Readings — 2024”: N.P. Rumyantsev’s Heritage and Topical Issues of Development of Modern Librarianship

On 23—25 April 2024, the Russian State Library (RSL) hosted the annual International Research and Practical Conference “Rumyantsev Readings” (organizers: Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, RSL, the Library Assembly of Eurasia). The topics raised at the conference invariably attract a large number of specialists from different regions of Russia and other countries with their versatility and relevance. In 2024, representatives of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan took part in it. Our country was represented by specialists from many cities and regions. 294 people took part in the event in person, 1,697 connections were recorded during the broadcasting of the sessions.The conference topics covered a wide range of issues on the theory and practice of library science, bibliography and book studies. Among its main directions: history of libraries and other scientific and cultural institutions, as well as pages of life and activity of people connected with them; disclosure of book depositories’ funds; research of collections and individual copies of manuscript and printed monuments; multifaceted activities of modern libraries. One of the main goals of the conference is to expand intercultural interaction and co-operation between cultural, educational and scientific institutions. Within the framework of the “Rumyantsev Readings” the work of sections, both traditional for many years, and timed to the dates and events of 2024, was organized. Special attention was paid to the personality and heritage of the creator of the Rumyantsev Museum N.P. Rumyantsev (1754—1826), whose 270th anniversary is being celebrated in 2024. Other key topics of the conference were: “Scientific and methodological activities of libraries”, “Collectors, curators, researchers: the history of cultural institutions in the faces”, “The selfless people of the past and modern volunteer movement in the life of libraries”, “Book monuments in the library collections: creation, existence, storage and use”, “Library collections in the digital environment”, “Staffing makes the difference: young researchers in the modern library”.The programme of the event included, in addition to the plenary session, ten sections and two round tables. By the beginning of the conference a collection of materials in three parts was prepared and published by the publishing house of the RSL “Pashkov Dom”, it included 168 articles by 180 authors.“Rumyantsev Readings” have been held for more than four decades and continue to be a popular research and practical event among library professionals and representatives of other educational, scientific and cultural institutions, contributing to the development of scientific research and the introduction of new practices.

Scientific libraries in the classification of the state libraries

Typology and classification of libraries is the most actual problem in library science. A great number of specialists have made attempts to solve it; however, the problem remains unresolved. The article discusses the issues of special terminology related to library differentiation. The author focuses on new tendencies in the development of the state library system and the fact that modern library science requires a revision of existing classifications of libraries. The classification proposed by the author is based on the social functions of libraries. The proposed classification allows for outlining the role of scientific libraries within the library system of the USSR.

Library and Bibliographic Classifications of Art Literature in the Documents of the M.I. Fabrikant Archive

The professional art history interests of professor M.I. Fabrikant (1887—1966) in the field of book studies, bibliography, library and museum studies are reflected in the documents of his personal archive in the Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts of the Scientific Library of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. Based on his extensive experience, the scientist drafted in the 1920s a scientific classification of art literature. In addition, working in the 1930s in the scientific libraries of major Moscow museums (the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the State Tretyakov Gallery), he drafted the structures of branch catalogues. M.I. Fabrikant also participated as a consultant in the development of projects for the organisation of departments and catalogues in the new building of the Lenin State Library of the USSR in 1936.

The first English textbook of plastic surgery—William (Jerry) Moore

The nineteenth century bore witness to a remarkable proliferation of reconstructive literature in Europe, based on procedures originally described in India and Italy. Despite the publication of a successful forehead flap in England in 1816, texts exclusively dedicated to the field of plastic surgery were relatively scarce in the English-speaking world. The authors sought to identify the first English textbook entirely devoted to plastic surgery. A comprehensive examination was undertaken, spanning various databases encompassing medical, medical humanities and historical domains (PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Anthropology, JSTOR, Encyclopedia of Ancient History), as well as an extensive perusal of materials housed in the State Library of Victoria, the University of Melbourne and the HathiTrust Digital Library. The scope of this search was confined to publications predating Harold Gillies' influential 1920 textbook. Within this vast literary landscape, an Australian surgeon named William Moore emerged as a figure of notable significance, authoring the first textbook of plastic surgery in English in 1899. Moore's legacy as a pioneering surgeon ahead of his era is undeniable. Yet, various factors conspired to obscure his rightful place in the annals of surgical history.

Reestablishment of public stale libraries in the postwar Lithuania

Before the Hitler occupation in Soviet Lithuania, there were no less than 263 working public state libraries, and preparations for the establishment of 92 additional libraries were underway. After the liberation of Soviet Lithuania, 60 libraries remained, nearly destroyed. Reconstruction and establishment work were carried out in three directions: reconstructing libraries that had been destroyed by the Hitler occupation forces, establishing libraries that had been planned before the war, and building new ones that had not been planned earlier. By the end of 1949, all the prewar libraries and those planned to be built had been reestablished and founded, except for 19, the construction of which was postponed for a later time. Additionally, more than 70 new state public libraries were founded.

The Russian State Library as a National Bibliographic Agency

The history of the Russian Book Chamber — the world’s first specialized state institution established to carry out registration, current bibliographic accounting of domestic publications and their archival storage — is briefly described. Since 2013 it has been a branch of the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS). In 2021—2022 the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation to transfer the functions of this branch to the Russian State Library (RSL) was implemented. The organizational aspects of this process are covered. As a result, RSL acquired new functions (accounting, notification, perpetual storage of the required copy) and a new status — the National Bibliographic Agency of the Russian Federation (NBA), which now need to be fixed in legal documents. The importance of coordination and methodological functions of the NBA for the full functioning of the entire system of national bibliography of the country is especially noted.

Pavel Petrovich Shibanov as a Supplier of Books for the Libraries of the Imperial Family (Late 19th — Early 20th Century)

On the basis of letters from the collection No. 342 of the Manuscripts Department of the Russian State Library (RSL) the co-operation of the famous Russian antiquarian book dealer of the late 19th — early 20th century P.P. Shibanov with the members of the House of Romanov in the field of formation of their personal libraries is studied. The study was carried out with the aim of obtaining reliable information about the editions offered to complete the personal libraries of the Imperial House. On the basis of previously unexplored sources the assortment of P.P. Shibanov’s booksellers, presented for purchase to the members of the Imperial Family, is revealed. The letters from the Shibanov collection of the RSL were received by the bookseller from high-ranking officials of the courts of the grand dukes and grand duchesses, and in some cases directly from members of the dynasty. The material gives an idea of the spheres of intellectual predilections of the Romanovs, of their interest in rare and ancient editions, among which were books of the 17th—18th centuries. The prices for books indicated in the letters are of no small importance. Among the information about the booksellers’ assortment offered to the Romanovs we should mention the books that for one reason or another did not interest the members of the dynasty during the preliminary acquaintance and were returned to the bookseller.In the course of the research, the drafts of P.P. Shibanov’s letters to the Moscow Governor-General, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, were revealed, and the exchange of telegrams with the Pushkin enthusiast, Prince Oleg Konstantinovich of Imperial Blood, was analyzed.Most of the letters were received from the court offices of the Grand Dukes Nikolai Mikhailovich (a famous historian), Konstantin Konstantinovich and Pyotr Nikolayevich (through the court office of the latter the sending of books to his wife, Grand Duchess Militsa Nikolaevna, for familiarization was discussed).The letters we have identified cover mainly the late 1890s — early 1900s; the latest are a telegram from Prince Oleg Konstantinovich of Imperial Blood, received by P.P. Shibanov in 1913, and a letter from the court office of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich in 1915.The studied letters reveal the book assortment offered by P.P. Shibanov to the members of the Imperial Family and the book preferences of the Romanovs, but do not indicate whether these books were purchased by them.

The types of UNESCO library activities

The aim of the article is to classify the activities of UNESCO in the field of library work. The main types of these activities are singled out based on the criteria of main functions of international organizations: Governing Activities: These are carried out by determining the main principles of library activities and announcing them in declarations, programs, projects, and other documents. This includes stating the rules in various fields of library work and implementing them through international conventions, as well as creating concepts for the development of libraries at both national and international levels. Controlling Activities: These are carried out by: Stating the existing status. Comparing it with the rules and ideal models. Declaring responsibility for deviations from them. The task is performed by collecting library statistics and other information. This is a major aspect of the work of international organizations. The evaluation of activities in librarianship is formulated as recommendations by UNESCO. Performing Activities: These involve UNESCO directly engaging in library work by sending experts to organize libraries in member states, granting stipends to librarians, purchasing books and equipment for member libraries, and investigating issues in modern librarianship.

Recognising a kaleidoscopic archive: working with London Missionary Society records in the geekosphere’

This article is an ultra-reflective account of an encounter with London Missionary Society (LMS) records through the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) collections at the State Library of Victoria (SLV) and the home office as socially and materially informed research spaces. The genealogies of surrogate archives are little analysed, yet they have complex pasts worth investigating. As Jasmine Burns (JALSNA 33: 150–167, 2024), the librarian and metadata specialist explained, information about an archive’s ancestry is valuable as it illuminates the history and a pattern of use beyond the original author’s intent. The subsequent discussion shows how I inspect descriptive categories associated with the AJCP LMS microfilmed and digitised records in the custody of SLV, the London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and the National Library of Australia, (NLA) showing how meaning was layered onto these records. Extending on the social historian Arlette Farge’s analogy of the archive as a kaleidoscope, I demonstrate the introductory process by which a historian determines absences and presences in the archive and to what extent the initial imperial categories used by archivists and librarians informed my research practices. By analysing the history of the LMS AJCP collection, I demonstrate how these Australian-Pacific artefacts contain layers of knowledge about historical cultures and relationships. The different agendas and experiences of librarians, archivists, and historians—all curators of historical records –have revealed or obscured encounter narratives concerning European and indigenous men and women.

Tamizdat translation agent as cultural mediator: an archival exploration of trajectories in the case of Ota Filip

ABSTRACT This study explores the trajectories of cultural mediators and their movements between various literary circulations, namely official, samizdat (self-published), or tamizdat (produced in the country of exile and smuggled to the homeland). Following Pierre Bourdieu, a trajectory is understood here as a series of positions that the specific agent occupies, in this case within the tamizdat distribution of Czech literature in West Germany in the 1970s and 1980s. Trajectories are traced through an analysis of the activities of Czech author Ota Filip during his time in exile in the Federal Republic of Germany. Findings are based on archival materials from the Czechoslovak Security Services Archive and the Bavarian State Library and focus on three main positions within the literary field: Filip's role as author, promoter, and translator.

N.A. Semashko on the management of preventive measures to preserve and improve the health of citizens (to the 150th anniversary of his birth)

On September 21, 2024, the medical community celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Nikolai Aleksandrovich Semashko, an outstanding manager of Russian healthcare, a scientist and teacher in the field of social hygiene. The results of his work in creating a new healthcare system in difficult conditions, one of the main principles of which is prevention, is highly appreciated by the World Health Organization and is known all over the world. To study the main directions of the prevention of various diseases over the first half of the twentieth century, there were analyzed the scientific works of N.A. Semashko, located in the electronic scientific libraries eLibrary, CyberLeninka, Scopus, Web of Science, the Central Scientific Medical Library, and the Russian State Library. N.A. Semashko considered prevention a priority in the activities of not only health professionals, but also other state and public organizations, as well as the citizens themselves in maintaining and strengthening their health. For its implementation, he recommended using various approaches, including improving the activities of sanitary organizations and medical institutions, developing dispensaries, the district principle of work, involving sanitary inspectors in joint activities with doctors and conducting health education of the population. Conclusions. Justified by N.A. Semashko in scientific works and the main directions of preventive medicine implemented in practice contributed to the elimination of epidemics, a decrease in the level of morbidity and mortality of the population, and therefore this experience should be taken into account and used in modern conditions.

Transformations of Russian industrial real estate in the context of unstable economy: Literature mapping and review

This study is focused on Russian industrial real estate and mechanisms of its transformation in crisis periods as a sphere of scientific knowledge. The investigated crisis periods are of interest from the perspective of their different nature, which remains a relevant research problem at the interface of economics and politics. The source materials were all types of research literature published from 1940 up to the present, along with state standards in this field. The materials for analysis were collected from the book funds of the Russian State Library and journals of the leading Moscow universities. The collected literature was classified based on three historical periods. These included (1) the war and post-war period of the 40s and up to the mid-70s, when technical literature was published; (2) 90s and 2000s, which passed under the sign of perestroika and general restructuring of industrial enterprises; and (3) the period since 2014 up to the present, characterized by a series of geopolitical events. The conclusion is made that the evolution of scientific knowledge in the field of industrial real estate depends on the nature of the ongoing crisis.

Libraries Are Resilience Hubs

Problem, research strategy, and findings We explored the contributions of local public libraries to community resilience in the face of economic hardships, extreme weather events, and the COVID-19 pandemic using a survey of 415 library directors distributed through state library listservs in 13 Midwestern states, community-level census and presidential elections data, and library-specific data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services annual Public Libraries Survey. We found that public libraries provide invaluable resilience-boosting community services. They help patrons find jobs and access social services, often with one-on-one support. They act as daytime shelters during extreme heat and cold events, which is particularly important for unhoused and underhoused individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they innovated to provide delocalized services and information access, such as installing WiFi hotspots. The provision of these essential resilience-boosting services is largely independent from library resources and community contexts and appear grounded in librarians’ ethos. Our research was limited to Midwestern public libraries and thus results are not generalizable to other regions, private, academic, and specialized libraries. We did not explore the possible relationships between local political majorities that could affect local government funding and priorities and local libraries’ funding sources, levels, and services. Takeaways for practice Beyond collections and information access, public libraries provide many services relevant to community and economic development and to disaster response. In addition, local public libraries act as resilience hubs in the face of economic stressors and extreme weather events, as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic, and are ready, flexible, adaptable, and willing to support patrons in times of need. Planners seeking to enhance community resilience can work with their local public libraries to build disaster preparedness and response capacity.

Словарь речений из богослужебных книг прот. А. И. Невоструева (позвизданїе — помѣстный)

The “Dictionary of Locutions from Liturgical Books” by Protopriest A. Nevostruev, completed in the middle of the 19th century and never published, can be regarded both as a significant achievement of Church Slavonic studies and as a valuable lexicographic source. The manuscript is kept in the Russian State Library. The decrepit state of the manuscript has determined the necessity of its urgent study and edition. The significance of this project is primarily due to the fact that the text of the dictionary is being made accessible to linguists for the first time. The orthography and grammar of the dictionary reflect the linguistic views of the time of its creation and can be of interest for those who study the history of Russian linguistics. This paper contains the 4th part of dictionary entries beginning in letter P. The characteristic features of the publication of this Dictionary, the lists of sources, abbreviations and symbols were described in detail in the previous issues of St. Tikhon’s University Review. All previously published parts of the Dictionary together with the critical apparatus can be found at the website of St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities.