Is the Library a Leisure Centre or a “Humanistic Stronghold of the Nation”?

The Russian Library Association (RLA) Manifesto “Library — a Humanistic Stronghold of the Nation” was adopted at the 24th RLA Annual Conference in Tula (2019). It was planned that the main ideas of this document would be included in the “Concept of the Development of Librarianship in Russia”, becoming the basis for analyzing the ways of development and transformation of the country’s libraries. Of all official documents on librarianship, the clause that “humanism is the world outlook basis of the library profession” is present only in the Code of Ethics of the Russian librarian. This is not enough. The idea of humanism as the basis of the library profession should be concretized in all documents of the branch and included in library textbooks.

In Russia, the printed book firmly holds its position, and readers expect from libraries full-fledged collections. The issue of improving bibliographic literacy of users is acute.

At the same time, librarian V.K. Stepanov has been trying to replace the essence of the library for the second decade. He proposes to consider it a social institution, deprived of the fund and readers, and to put unrelated tasks before librarians and material and technical base. He sees the purpose of the library in providing the cognitive and creative activity of the community served through the organization of intellectual interaction, the implementation of educational and leisure programmes, the provision of public use of the necessary space, hardware and software tools and access to information sources. From the scientific point of view, this postulate is far from the requirements of logic to the distinctive features of a scientific definition. In numerous articles V.K. Stepanov uses the same arguments, refers to the same facts, far from clarifying the actual situation of the country’s libraries. All of V.K. Stepanov’s theses have long been rejected by the library community.

1. Sokolov A.V. Information Society and Libraries. Part 2. Humanistic Symbol of a Nation, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2013, no. 4, pp. 28—36. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2011-0-4-28-36 (in Russ.).

2. Stepanov V.K. If You Want to Keep Your Library, Sovremennaya biblioteka [Modern Library], 2022, no. 1 (121), pp. 18—22 (in Russ.).

3. Stepanov V.K. The Future of Libraries in Digital Communications System: Approach to the Problem, Shkol’naya biblioteka [School Library], 2011, no. 6—7, pp. 75—77 (in Russ.).

4. The Intellectual and Discussion Duel “To the Barrier” (According to the Scheme of V.R. Solovyov’s TV Programme). The Theme of the Duel: “Do Libraries Have a Future in the Digital Age?”, Shkol’naya biblioteka [School Library], 2011, no. 6—7, pp. 130—137 (in Russ.).

5. Stepanov V.K. The “Re-Evolutionary” Decade: The Forecast for Library Development Until 2030, Rumyantsevskie chteniya: materialy Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii (18—20 aprelya 2023 g.): v 3 ch. [Rumyantsev Readings: Proceedings of the International Research and Practical Conference (April 18—20, 2023): in 3 parts]. Moscow, Pashkov Dom Publ., 2023, part 3, pp. 79—86 (in Russ.).

6. Stepanov V.K. Libraries in a Paperless World: Encumbrance for the Budget or Community Transformation Centers, Vzaimovliyanie informatsionno-bibliotechnoi sredy i obshchestvennykh nauk: sbornik materialov nauchnogo seminara “Bibliotechnaya podderzhka issledovanii v sfere sotsial’nykh i gumanitarnykh nauk” [Interaction of Information and Library Environment and Social Sciences: Proceedings of the Scientific Seminar “Library Support for Research in the Field of Social Sciences and Humanities]. Moscow, 2023, issue 6, pp. 94—104. DOI: 10.31249/muinfluence/2023.00.07 (in Russ.).

7. Sukhorukov K.M. The Future of Russian Libraries: Current Problems and Development Forecasts, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2024, vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 23—32. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2024-73-1-23-32 (in Russ.).

8. Perova G.V., Sukhorukov K.M. Book Publishing in Russia in 2022, Bibliografiya i knigovedenie [Bibliography and Bibliology], 2023, no. 1, pp. 3—38. DOI: 10.25281/2411-2305-2023-1-3-38 (in Russ.).

9. Knizhnyi rynok Rossii. Sostoyanie, tendentsii i perspektivy razvitiya: otraslevoi doklad [Russian Book Market. State, Trends and Prospects of Development: Industry Report]. Moscow, 2023, 98 p.

10. Klyuev V.K. And What Does Library Happiness Look Like?.. Universitetskaya kniga [Univesity Book], 2013, no. 11, pp. 46—47 (in Russ.).

11. Sokolov A.V. Information Functions and Humanistic Mission of the Russian Libraries, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2013, no. 4, pp. 25—28. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2013-0-4-25-28 (in Russ.).

12. Sokolov A.V. Bibliopsychology and Noosphere, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2017, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 378—385. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2017-66-4-378-385 (in Russ.).

13. Manifesto of the Russian Library Association “Library is a Humanistic Stronghold of the Nation” (draft), Rossiiskaya bibliotechnaya assotsiatsiya: ofits. sait [Russian Library Association: official website]. Available at: https://www.rba.ru/netcat_files/userfiles/news/2019/07_05/lib_manifest.pdf (accessed 26.12.2023) (in Russ.).

14. Meshcheryakova V.V., Trushina I.A. Discussion on the Ways of Librarianship Development in Russia at the All-Russian Library Congress — 2019, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2019, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 321—329. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2019-68-3-321-329 (in Russ.).

15. Strategy for the Development of Librarianship in the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030: Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of March 13, 2021, no. 608-r, Sobranie zakonodatel’stva Rossiiskoi Federatsii [Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation], 2021, no. 12, art. 2072 (in Russ.).

16. The Code of Ethics of the Russian Librarian, Rossiiskaya bibliotechnaya assotsiatsiya: ofits. sait [Russian Library Association: official website]. Available at: https://www.rba.ru/content/about/doc/codex.php (accessed 26.12.2023) (in Russ.).

17. On Librarianship: Federal Law of December 29, 1994, no. 78-FZ, Sobranie zakonodatel’stva Rossiiskoi Federatsii [Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation], 1995, no. 1, art. 2 (in Russ.).

18. Stepanov V.K. Library and Librarians in the Knowledge Society, Universitetskaya kniga [University Book], 2018, no. 9, pp. 42—47 (in Russ.).

19. Borovinsky A. Criticism of Vadim Stepanov’s Article “Library and Librarians in the Knowledge Society”, Elis: programmy dlya bibliotek: blog A. Borovinskogo [Elis: programs for libraries: blog of A. Borovinsky]. Available at: https://elibsystem.ru/node/240 (accessed 26.12.2023) (in Russ.).

20. Pleshkevich E.A. To Close Is Impossible to Leave It: Where Should Be Put a Comma? Bibliosfera [Bibliosphere], 2023, no. 3, pp. 65—71. DOI: 10.20913/1815-3186-2023-3-65-71 (in Russ.).

21. Stepanov V.K. Great Reduction in Quantity of Libraries: Particular Management Errors or a General Perspective for the Field (Analysis of the Experience of the Moscow Region), Bibliosfera [Bibliosphere], 2023, no. 2, pp. 104—111. DOI: 10.20913/1815-3186-2023-2-104-111 (in Russ.).