Traditions of Guardianship and Charity through Organization of District Libraries

Abstract

The article deals with not well studied problem of the class societies’ participation in the development of librarianship in the chief towns of the Middle Volga Region. In the second half of the 19th century the initiative of libraries’ opening often come from the citizens. They created the trustee committees, whose members served the librarianship for free, donated books, money, and actively participated in the organizing of charitable performances.