The purpose of the article is to substantiate the further development and increase of the efficiency of scientific research and scientific-methodical activity as the main type of activity of the National Libraries (NL). There is presented the analysis of the legal basis of the research function of NL — legislation in the field of librarianship, science and scientific and technological policy. The author considers the reflection of this function in the Statutes of NL of different times and stages of development. The article reveals the modern forms of institutionalization of scientific activity and scientometric approach to assessing the efficiency of scientific institutions. The author records the necessity of comparative analysis of the legal substantiation of the forms of organization and content of scientific activity of the National libraries of different countries. The author analyses domestic and foreign sources on this problem, as well as determines the scope of missing information for more profound and comprehensive assessment of the current state of research activities of NL. To this end, the author examines the official websites of the libraries and reveals the following results. Most of NL are engaged in scientific research. Based on the analysis, the article substantiates the conclusion about the presence of general trends in their content, corresponding to the modern requirements of socio-economic and cultural development. The author presents the conclusion on the need to develop scientific activity of the National Library of Russia in accordance with the “Concept of Development of the National Library of Russia for 2018—2025”. The article analyses the normative and regulatory documents of domestic and foreign NL, as well as the experience of domestic and foreign researchers over the past 20 years, which proves the important place and role of scientific research in the activities of the modern NL. The conducted analysis will contribute to improving the efficiency of scientific activities of NL, strengthening of their role as a scientific and methodological centre for the Central libraries of the Russian Federation, as well as the role of regional libraries in the formation of the research space and the environment of professional scientific communications.

The article describes the main characteristics of the project aiming to modernize municipal libraries of Russia within the framework of the national project “Culture”. The modernization is targeted at development of information and communication potential of regions, creation of conditions for further integrated development of the network of municipal libraries in order to provide local urban and rural communities with equitable access to the resources of major libraries, local history and the National Digital Library. The article summarizes the main statistical data of the starting and target stages of the project, including the number of libraries to be modernized in 2019. There are outlined the main activity directions of the project office established in the Russian State Library to provide the methodological assistance to subjects of the Russian Federation at all stages of the project.

Scientific bibliographic description of collections, which includes bibliographic description of the holding items, their systematization and scientific research, serves to disclose the library holdings. The purpose of the article is to study the process of scientific bibliographic description of the collections of Russian literature abroad in the Russian State Library (RSL) in its historical development. The author shows the evolution of this activity carried out by specialists of various departments of the RSL, and using reference to specific scientific articles on the theory of bibliography explains the importance of scientific bibliographic description of collections for creation of retrospective national bibliography.

The author analyses and systematizes several dozen works related to the scientific bibliographic description of the Russian literature abroad in the RSL. This part of Rossika in the Library is mainly a single array. The work on its scientific bibliographic description is carried out in the traditional (printed) form, in modern (electronic) form, responding to contemporary trends, as well as in parallel in both forms.

The article presents the consolidated list of local databases (DB) of Russian literature abroad, created in the RSL. Two main types of DB are distinguished: 1) Established on the basis of the collections of Russian literature abroad and intended mainly for their disclosure. The names of these resources fully reflect their essence: “Photographs in the Collection...”, “Publications with the owner’s marks from the Collections...”, “Displaced cultural values in the Collection...”; 2) Consolidated databases based on the collections of Russian literature abroad and a number of other sources. It is reflected and even underlined in the title, for example: “Consolidated catalogue of periodicals and continuing editions of Russian abroad in Moscow libraries”.

The author collected and analysed scientific articles of the RSL researchers, revealing the history of these databases, the principles of their construction, the goals, objectives, opportunities and prospects. The article presents correlation between the database and traditional bibliographic indexes of Russian literature abroad in the RSL, as well as lists the cases when the DB is based on the index or, conversely, database serves as the basis for it. The author lists, systematizes and briefly describes traditional bibliographic indexes of the collections of Russian literature abroad created by the staff of the Russian State Library, as well as shows how to use technical possibilities in the indexes placed on electronic media.

The article for the first time covers the history of the Electronic Library (EL) of the Russian State Library (RSL) from the beginning of its formation in the mid-1990s to the present. The author considers the stages of formation and development of the EL of the RSL, the changes that have occurred depending on various factors: changes in legislation in the field of intellectual activity, the emergence of new conceptual approaches and technological platforms. The article identifies two basic approaches to the creation of electronic library: formation of large electronic collections by type of publications or presented information and the creation of electronic version of the collections of documents stored in the RSL holdings. The author gives the key decisions made in relation to the EL: the resources that have passed into the public domain are freely available on the website of the RSL; all documents (not fragments) digitized on the basis of the RSL holdings shall be included in the EL of the RSL; the quality of electronic materials is strictly regulated, etc. The article presents the history of creation and features of large digital collections and separate collections, as well as participation in Russian and international projects and programs. The author considers the development of various electronic services, search capabilities, and features of access to different collections depending on the content. The article highlights the role of the “Electronic Library of Dissertations”, which became the basis for enriching the EL of the RSL with relevant scientific knowledge, for working out new technical and technological solutions, and for providing unique access opportunities within the current legislation. The author notes that the EL creators are focused on the organization of access to modern scientific and educational content within the framework of legislative initiatives, conceptual and special technical solutions, as well as on providing free access to materials of great cultural and historical value for Russia and the world community

The problem of reader’s indifference of troubled teenagers hinders the development of cultural society; therefore, library-information institutions of the Russian Federation organize reading for this social community. However, library practices have low efficiency due to the lack of scientific knowledge about reader’s motives and informational needs of difficult teenagers, as well as special methods for developing their reading. To develop scientific methods for correcting the reading of difficult adolescents, taking into account their psycho-physiological features, the authors conducted the applied study based on the knowledge of the psychology of reading. The purpose of the article is to highlight the results of research aimed at studying the reader characteristics of socially troubled teenager and the method of organizing the reading in libraries. As a result, the authors revealed that the weakness of the emotional-volitional sphere, the involuntary attention, the inability to perceive and retain a large number of printed characters in consciousness is the basis of the reader’s failure of difficult adolescents. From this circumstance arose the question of using stimulating components in the reading process. Understanding the psychological features of the perception of text by troubled teenagers has allowed to assume that characteristics of the interactive document are the most suitable for them as external stimulus of reading. The data obtained in the psychological-pedagogical experiment indicated that interactive document compensates for the inadequate associative determinants of difficult teenager in the perception of printed documents, promotes visualization of literary images, which, in turn, contributes to the formation of motivational attitudes to reading and satisfies the information need. The authors consider the specific feature of interactive documents, which allows presenting the material in a more accessible perception. Reading of interactive documents can serve as a new effective method of the library work to meet the information needs of this social group, and it will expand the organization of reading of troubled teenagers.

The purpose of the article is to present the historiographical review of the studies on the history of domestic librarianship, aimed at summarizing the interim results and identifying the trends in development of the history of library construction. The author determines that the research works on library construction in the USSR republics prevail in the studies on the history of librarianship. Research works on the history of library construction in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine dominate among them. Since the 1990s, the vector has shifted to the study of library construction in certain regions, areas and Autonomous republics of Russia. The regions of greatest interest are Siberia and the Urals, as well as Tatarstan, Bashkiria and Orenburg region. In chronological terms, the most studies are devoted to the history of Soviet library construction. In addition to comprehensive research studies, the works on the history of formation and development of particular library technologies — such as creation of collections, book description and library services — occupy a definite place. The history of library education is of considerable interest to the experts. The researchers studied the history of library science in sufficient detail.

The author noted that there formed the central and regional schools in the field of history of librarianship. Moscow and St. Petersburg schools occupy the main place among them.

The author determined that the lack of synthetic, comprehensive scientific research in the area of source studies, archaeography and historiography of the history of librarianship is the main drawback hindering the development of the history of librarianship. The article notes that without these studies it is impossible to conduct the generalized research covering the history of the domestic librarianship from its origin to the present time. The article continues the earlier studies.

The article, based on the results of planned research carried out in the Department of scientific systematization of literature (DSSL) of the Russian Academy of Sciences Library (RASL), considers the poorly studied period in the history of the RASL systematic catalogue — the second half of the 1920s. The purpose of this article is to reconstruct the initial stage of creation of systematic card catalogue of RASL, basing on archival documents. The author presents the history of the first functional Department of the Library — Systematization Department of the II (Foreign) Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Library, organized to complete the systematic card catalogue. The article describes the circumstances of the formation of the Department: existence of two branches of the library (I — Russian and II — Foreign), domestic difficulties, acute shortage personnel, the presence of an array of items without shelf marks, the use of outdated classification. The author presents a number of persons who started to work in the Department in 1924—1925: S.S. Abramovich-Baranovsky, A.A. Arnoldi, N.A. Burov, G.G. Geld, A.A. Gizetti, V.S. Zolotilov, S.V. Melikova-Tolstaya, V.S. Serebrenikov, etc. The article considers the main functional responsibilities assigned to the Department: systematization of the book collections, organization of systematic card catalogue, foreign books acquisition, composing and reviewing of the rules and instructions, preparation of scientific conclusions on books, participation in the organization of exhibitions, compilation of bibliography. The author describes in detail the results of work in 1924—1925: the restored method of book systematization according to K.M. Baer system, preparation of the instructional and methodical apparatus, and compilation of the card catalogue of publications up to 1914. The article presents the brief observation of the proposals to improve the classification of K.M Baer. The improvement included expansion of the classification, destruction of completely outdated units, transfer of some units of the system in the relevant modern scientific classification departments and subsections, and updating of the scientific terminology. The author highlighted and marked the traditions established in the 1920s, which later became the basis for human, organizational and methodological policy of the RASL Department, existing now for 95 years: reflection in the systematic catalogue of all types of publications coming to the library, involvement in the Department of specialists of certain branches of knowledge and activities, assignment to specialists of the relevant sections of catalogue. The refusal of K.M. Baer classification in 1930 marked the entry of RASL into the next stage of the history, during which the restructuring of the entire library was carried out on the functional basis, and the development of its own classification schedules began.

The National and University Library of Iceland (Landsbókasafn Íslands — Háskólabókasafn) celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2018. The purpose of the review is to acquaint Russian library specialists with the history of this institution and to show its role in the preservation and promotion of the national cultural heritage. The author considers the main stages of development of the National and University Library of Iceland (NULI): from the establishment of the Icelandic Provincial Library in Reykjavík in 1818 (in 1881 it was renamed to the National Library of Iceland) to its merger with the University Library in 1994. The main sources of the study are the articles of foreign, primarily Icelandic, researchers on the activities, holdings and electronic collections of NULI, published in the late 1990s — 2010s. The author notes the contribution of Jón Árnason (1819—1898), the famous Icelandic researcher-folklorist and the first national librarian, who headed the library for about 40 years, in the development of the institution’s structure and stocks. The paper characterizes the modern organizational and management structure of NULI, composition of collections (including the Manuscript Department and the Icelandic Department), the system of library and bibliographic services. The author emphasizes the role of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavík as the main repository and centre for the study of Icelandic manuscripts. The institute conducts the intensive work on search for medieval Icelandic documents in the libraries and archives of other states and the digital reconstruction of scattered collections. The article reveals the work of NULI on opening of its holdings and creation of digital collections (“Collection of historical maps of Iceland”, “Digital library of medieval Icelandic manuscripts”, “Digital library of Icelandic Newspapers and magazines”, “Collection of old books of Iceland”, etc.). The author draws particular attention to the activities of the Consortium of Icelandic Libraries led by NULI to create a Unified Information and Library Space for the country and concludes on the significant contribution of NULI to the promotion and popularization of the national cultural heritage of the Northern state.

The Building Strong Library and Information Science Education (BSLISE) Working Group of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) was formed in 2016 to develop an international quality assurance (QA) framework that will guide and promote international educational standards in LIS. The first phase of its efforts has been to conduct an international survey (by means of questionnaires) of qualifications for LIS professional practice inclusive of regional and national contexts. Key findings of the study along with recommendations appear in the Building Strong Library and Information Science Education: a Call to Global and Local Action White Paper published in August 2018. This review briefly outlines the White Paper’s content and comments on its main points. Based on the analysis, the BSLISE Working Group identified six key findings with recommended actions and change agents, and prioritized three actions for its next steps: to develop an international resource that identifies local structures; to develop an international framework for the assessment of quality standards in LIS education; to identify core and other competencies for transferability and reciprocity. The article concludes that there has been a longstanding need for comprehensive documentation of LIS education globally.

The article aims to analyze the white paper prepared by an IFLA BSLISE Working Group in August 2018 — “Building Strong Library and Information Science Education: A Call to Global and Local Action”. The white paper was based on an international online survey, conducted in the spring of 2017, which had examined LIS qualification and certification requirements; the definition and meaning of a library and information science (LIS) “professional”; and agencies tasked with determining professional entry requirements.

The article consistently reviews sections of the white paper, describes most important issues related to the current state of LIS education worldwide, quality assurance and internationalization of LIS programs, the impact of professional development and continuing education on LIS professionals. The action plan developed by the IFLA Working Group identifies most critical areas that require increased attention of the international professional community. It includes actions for the IFLA Working Group to undertake in 2018—2021.

Findings of the international online survey and the white paper are of interest to the Russian professional community, especially to higher education institutions of culture that offer LIS programs (in Russia — “Library and Information Science activity”) at undergraduate and graduate levels.

Having studied the white paper, the authors come to the conclusion that Russian experience in LIS education and training is unknown to foreign specialists. In order to solve this problem, the article offers recommendations: to develop a database gathering information about Russian LIS schools for posting it on the Russian Library Association website, to collect information about Russian LIS programs for posting it on the international resource “LIS Education Map”, etc.

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