The Book Collection of Kolyvan-Voskresensk Mining Plants in the 19th — First Quarter of the 20th Centuries (Based on Catalogue Materials)

The book collection of the Kolyvan-Voskresensk Mining Plants is the oldest 18th—19th century scientific and technical library in Siberia. It has great historical and cultural significance. Reconstructing the composition and history of this collection requires consulting a wide range of historical sources, among which collection catalogues, accounting, and recordkeeping documentation hold a special place.

This study analyzes the cataloguing processes of the book collection of the Kolyvan-Voskresensk Plants. The central institution that stored and distributed books from this collection in the Altai mining district was the Barnaul State Library (BSL). The novelty of this study lies in its comprehensive examination of the cataloguing processes of its collection throughout the 19th and first quarter of the 20th centuries. The BSL catalogues and recordkeeping documentation, dating from the mid-19th to the first quarter of the 20th centuries, are brought into scholarly circulation for the first time. The results obtained can be used for further reconstruction of the book collection of the Kolyvan-Voskresensk Plants and the attribution of specific items to the collection under study.

From its founding in 1764 until the early 19th century, the BSL lacked systematic organization, with only a brief and uninformative inventory. In 1808—1809, P.K. Frolov developed and implemented a new collection accounting system, which categorized books by purpose, subject, and language. He also introduced a new BSL seal and a special notation, striking out letters in typographic text that spelled out the word “kasennaya” (state-owned) when read sequentially.

The system introduced by P.K. Frolov continued to be used until the end of the 19th century, without significant changes. However, the ever-increasing size of the collection and the diversity of publications, the large number of lost and not written off books, and the decline of mining in the Altai region necessitated an update of the library catalogue. To this end, the Chronological Catalogue of the Library of the Main Administration of the Altai Region was compiled. It covers the period 1906—1911 and reflects the state of the BSL collection in the final years of its existence.

The BSL catalogues, compiled over the years, allow us to characterize the subject matter and quantity of the book collection, as well as track the dynamics of its acquisition. The article establishes the attribution of call and inventory numbers in surviving books to a specific stage in the cataloguing history of the Kolyvan-Voskresensk Plants’ book collection, allowing us to assign copies to the collection that lack key identification marks. This is particularly important for reconstructing the latest stages of the book collection’s existence.

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