International scientific and practical conference “Rumyantsev Readings” in 2020 was held in absentia. The Publishing house of the Russian State Library “Pashkov Dom” prepared the conference proceedings in two parts, which included 176 articles. Among the participants of the conference there are specialists from libraries of all levels and different departmental subordination, museums, archives, Universities, scientific research institutes in Russia, Belarus, Great Britain and Kazakhstan. The articles cover a wide range of issues on the theory and practice of library science, bibliography science, book studies, the history of librarianship and library activities at the present time. Considerable part of the reports was prepared under the theme “Libraries in the context of history: private collections and state book repositories”. In the year of the 75th anniversary of the Victory, many researchers turned to the history of libraries during the Great Patriotic War. The conference proceedings include materials about outstanding representatives of librarianship, researchers and collectors, where the authors analyse and evaluate their activities. Traditionally, “Rumyantsev readings” present a large number of works on the disclosure of the collections of libraries and archives, description of stored materials: manuscripts, rare books and book monuments, art editions, maps and printed music. Within the topics of the section “Library classification systems” there are presented the articles devoted to separate sections of Library Bibliographic Classification and general issues of system modernization and implementing it in practice, publication of LBC schedules and the value of its public e-version for the development of classification search and improving efficient use of library collections. Issues related to the current activities of foreign and, primarily, domestic libraries are presented in extremely wide range: from understanding the place of libraries in the modern space of socio-cultural communication and strategic approaches to innovation management to highlighting specific projects under implementation. The reports raise the topics of training future librarians in higher education institutions and improving their skills in future, developing and implementing standards, digitizing library collections, and bibliometric analysis. The article analyses the state of digitalization of scientific — information activities in libraries, presents characteristics of separate online information resources, raises questions on the development of regulatory framework for labour rationing and the formation of the library’s image in social networks and information publications about it. Publication of the proceedings will serve to achieve the main goal of the conference — to draw attention to the issues of preserving and studying the world cultural heritage, problems of functioning of libraries at the present historical stage, search for ways of innovative development, expand cooperation between cultural, educational, scientific institutions and intercultural interaction.