All-Russian Library Congress 2025 “Victory. Stronger Together”

All-Russian Library Congress: The 29th Annual Conference of the Russian Library Association (RLA) was hosted on May 26—29, 2025 in Izhevsk. Its theme, “Victory. Stronger Together,” reflected the importance of libraries as centers of patriotic education, preservation of cultural heritage, and information and educational activities. For the first time, the RLA Congress was held in the format of thematic tracks reflecting the development directions of the country’s libraries, outlined in the “Strategy for the Development of Librarianship in the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030.” The following tracks were organized: “A Modern Library in Demand as a Strategic Resource of the State,” “Library Collection as a National Heritage: Development and Preservation,” “Information Services for Users in the Digital Age: Resources, Methods, Tools,” “Digital Reboot: New Reality of Library Practice,” “Library Personnel Policy. How to Raise a Good Specialist”, “Scientific and Methodological Support for Library Activities”, “How to Raise a Generation of Winners: The Library in the System of Patriotic and Civic Education of Children and Youth”. The RLA Congress in Izhevsk brought together almost 1,200 representatives of the library industry from 78 regions of the Russian Federation, as well as specialists from foreign countries. For the first time, a delegation of heads of the largest scientific and university libraries in India took part in its work. The business program included special events and international discussion platforms. The School of the Restorer, the School of the Cataloger, the School of the Library Blogger and the School of the Acquisitions Librarian were conducted. The Day of Libraries of the Volga Federal District was held. A special event was organized: “Spiritual and Moral Values of Russian Culture: National and International Levels”, an open discussion panel “Modern University Library: Models, Contents, Services”, a round table “New Roles for New Times: Russian Libraries as a Humanitarian and Information Mobilization Resource of a Special Military Operation”, a round table of military libraries, a case laboratory “Cultural Heritage and Its Development by New Generations. The Role of Libraries”, as well as a mobile laboratory “Studying Reading”. A significant event was the approval of a new version of the RLA Charter, which reflects both legislative innovations concerning the activities of non-profit organizations and the active role of the RLA as the largest professional association. The topics of various events of the RLA Congress covered a wide range of current issues facing not only libraries, but also all of Russian and world culture and science. Participants discussed the digitalization of libraries, information services for users, the work of cultural institutions during a special military operation, and many other issues. The RLA confirmed its readiness to engage in solving problems and achieving the goals outlined in the country’s strategic documents.

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4. On Approval of the Fundamentals of State Policy for Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values: Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 9, 2022, no. 809, Sobranie zakonodatel’stva Rossiiskoi Federatsii [Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation], 2022, no. 46, art. 7977 (in Russ.).

5. On Approval of the Strategy for the Development of Librarianship in the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030: Order 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.).

6. Charter of the Russian Library Association (New Version): draft. Moscow, 2025, 11 p. Available at: https://www.rba.ru/netcat_files/userfiles/news/2025/23_04/USTAV_RBA_22.04.25.pdf (accessed 18.07.2025) (in Russ.).

7. On Obligatory Copy of Documents: Federal Law of December 29, 1994, no. 77-FZ, Sobranie zakonodatel’stva Rossiiskoi Federatsii [Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation], 1995, no. 1, art. 1 (in Russ.).

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9. On Approval of the Procedure for Accounting of Documents Included in the Library Fund: Order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation of October 8, 2012, no. 1077, Rossiiskaya Gazeta. 2013, no. 107, May 22, p. 25 (in Russ.).

10. Zhabko E.D., Neshcheret M.Yu., Serova O.V. Expanding the Resource Base and Technologisation: Directions for the Development of Information Service in Libraries, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2025, vol. 74, no. 4, pp. 307—318. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2025-74-4-307-318 (in Russ.).

11. Duda V.V. Practical Tasks of Digital Transformation of Libraries, Upravlenie izmeneniyami v realizatsii “Strategii razvitiya bibliotechnogo dela v Rossiiskoi Federatsii na period do 2030 goda” [Change Management in the Implementation of the “Strategy for the Development of Librarianship in the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030”]. St. Petersburg, 2023, pp. 20—24 (in Russ.).

12. Guseva E.N. Terminology for the Digital Transformation of Libraries: Framing the Problem, Bibliotechnaya nauka v XXI veke: soderzhanie, organizatsiya, tsifrovizatsiya i naukometriya [Library Science in the 21st Century: Its Content, Organization, Digitalization and Scientometrics: Proceedings]. Moscow, 2022, pp. 168—175 (in Russ.).

13. Professional Standard “Specialist in Library and Information Activities”, Professional Standards: official internet resource. Available at: https://profstandart.rosmintrud.ru/obshchiy-informatsionnyy-blok/natsionalnyy-reestr-professionalnykh-standartov/reestr-professionalnykh-standartov/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=116630 (accessed 18.07.2025) (in Russ.).

14. On Approval of the Professional Standard “Specialist in Library and Information Activities”: Order of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation of September 14, 2022, no. 527n, Official Internet Portal of Legal Information: website. Available at: http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/document/0001202210140007 (accessed 18.07.2025) (in Russ.).

15. Kuznetsova T.Ya. Professional Standardization of Library and Information Activities, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2024, vol. 73, no. 2, pp. 103—115. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2024-73-2-103-115 (in Russ.).

16. Guseva E.N., Sukhotina M.L., Kuznetsova T.Ya., Kondakov V.V., Shatskaya A.A. Staffing Needs of Central Regional Libraries in Russia: According to Monitoring Data, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2025, vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 73—83. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2025-74-1-73-83 (in Russ.).

17. Guseva E.N., Sukhotina M.L., Shatskaya A.A. Map of the Professional Educational Space of Russian Librarians: Formation and Development, Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science], 2024, vol. 73, no. 6, pp. 487—501. DOI: 10.25281/0869-608X-2024-73-6-487-501 (in Russ.).

18. Mutyev V.A. Monitoring Educational Library and Information Programs in the Conditions of Changes in Regulation, Vestnik Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta kul’tury i iskusstv [Bulletin of the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts], 2024, no. 1 (117), pp. 184—190. DOI: 10.24412/1997-0803-2024-1117-184-190 (in Russ.).

19. Samarin A.Yu. Scientific Specialty “Library Science, Bibliography and Book Studies”: Its Content and Place in the System of Sciences, Bibliotechnaya nauka v XXI veke: soderzhanie, organizatsiya, tsifrovizatsiya i naukometriya [Library Science in the 21st Century: Its Content, Organization, Digitalization and Scientometrics: Proceedings]. Moscow, 2022, pp. 25—35 (in Russ.).

20. Case-Lab “Cultural Heritage and Its Develpoment by New Generations. The Role of Libraries”: The 29th Annual Conference of the RBA, Izhevsk, May 26, 2025. Available at: https://pbo.pl.spb.ru/upload/docs/Keis-laboratoriya_2025_sbornik%20dokladov.pdf (accessed 18.07.2025) (in Russ.).

21. Kosachkova K.S. (ed.) Youth Human Resource of Russian Libraries: Analytical Report Based on the Empirical Research. Moscow, 2025, 168 p. Available at: https://colleagues.rgub.ru/files/molodezhnyi_kadrovyi_resurs.pdf (accessed 18.07.2025). (in Russ.).

22. List of Instructions Following Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly: Approved by the President of the Russian Federation of March 30, 2024, no. Pr-616, President of Russia: official website. Available at: http://www.kremlin.ru/acts/assignments/orders/73759 (accessed 18.07.2025) (in Russ.).