may 27 — all-Russian Day of libraries. This year the holiday twenty-five years, and, like the anniversary of the Victory Day, it is celebrated mainly in an online format. What changes made by the pandemic in the domestic life of the book and what their future is, to the correspondent “MK” was told by the President of the Russian library Association Mikhail Afanasyev.
— what are the main challenges facing the library over the past two months?
— In contrast to the system of education, which, as we have seen, were before the current situation is focused on training in the classroom library for at least the past two decades worked in the Internet space to promote their resources, holding events — broadcast what is happening in the library, engaged in the digitization of books and the formation of electronic collections. So we cannot say that the situation is closed to visiting the library has become an insurmountable obstacle to work. Today we can count dozens of forms that are used by librarians dealing with readers outside their walls. From traditional literature reviews and meetings with the authors to quests, readers ‘ competitions, marathons and intellectual games. Librarians read fairy tales to my children on the phone, create book trailers and virtual exhibitions, hold workshops, give advice and much, much more, often beyond the usual library activities.
the difficulty, of course, came in first place for libraries, which, because of objective reasons have not had the technical capacity for online work. This is a small library in the village, a school library. In some cases, and in the presence of technology librarians traditional schools the new regime was not easy, because objectively, the Internet audience is not quite identical with the actual visitors given library. And work with a new audience, which, by the way, you can’t see is difficult. Not by chance the most efficient youth (youth) library. Here all has coincided — and the audience is living online, and librarians, the living interest of the public, and has already accumulated an interesting experience of network operation.
— During the time of the restrictions in the number of those who decided to take advantage of library services has increased or, on the contrary, has decreased?
— Here a paradoxical situation. On the one hand, librarians beyond the walls of his library with a story about books and many other interesting network audience shares, gained an audience that previously did not have, that’s for sure. But on the other hand, the man “caught” the story of the librarian, or the child who listens to the tale, read it as a librarian, most likely, not underprevaut that they “use library”. If we consider this audience as a new “visitors” of the library, their number certainly increased. As for those who usually came to the library to take a book home, sit in the reading room, the opportunity to use the library for them greatly reduced. Compensation (part-time) were created by the libraries electronic book collection. Yet the full picture across the country, but individual examples can be judged, the extent to which the library e-book has become more popular. Dramatically increased the appeal to the National electronic library, where you can find both old and modern literature on a variety of topics. The life of my Historical library in April this year compared to April 2019 from our “Open electronic library” was downloaded 1.6 times more documents and other digital collections via the library website circulation was increased more than 2 times. To what extent have we been able to satisfy the demand of our readers — we’ll see when meet again with them in the library.
— How widespread the transition to the online format affect real access to libraries?
— Impact, no doubt. But the results will be like in the direction of increasing attendance and reducing its. It all depends on what kind of library are we talking about, and about which online activities it applies and will apply.
So, for those libraries that have active educational activity in the Network, their image among the reading public will surely rise, and if the library will be able to build a bridge between what she offers remotely, and the even greater and even better that it will offer in its walls, the real number of readers will increase. At the same time libraries, especially large ones, are actively developing (and had developed) online services. Today it is not necessary to go to the library to see what books are in it — most libraries have their catalogues exhibited online. To pay remotely and get a copy of interesting material you can use the system of electronic delivery of documents. I mentioned the electronic library. Here are the librarians consciously go to the reader not have to go over the information, the information must come to him. This is a common trend of modern communication systems, and the library must conform to it. So in this area — the reduction in visits (when expanding access to sources) — the process is not only normal, but positive.
we Often hear about the embarrassingly small salary librarians. Is it all sad?
For each of your question I have to answer “Yes” and “no.” And of sarabun��th Board of librarians to say, “no, and Yes.” Today you hear much less talk about low wages in the library, because librarians, as public sector workers fall under the famous “may” decrees of the President 2012. Then, in particular, was tasked to bring to 2018, wages of library workers to the regional average. The result of the execution of this decree has been a marked increase in wages in libraries. And where the regional level is rather high (e.g. in Moscow), the position of librarian became quite competitive.
however, the execution of the decrees of the President gave its side effect. In those cases when the founder of the library lacked funds, and the decree should be executed, this led to the actual collapse of the library. In order not to raise wages of employees transferred to part-time, transformed the library. In some departments were renamed posts of librarians. In the end, it is necessary discouraging to note that the words on a small salary of librarians, although less than before, the scale remain valid.
— recently, libraries in big cities are becoming more technically advanced, and what happens in small towns?
— Statistics tell us that 70% of municipal libraries of the country are provided with computers. There is no doubt that the remaining 30% are small libraries in rural areas, far from major cities. This is a serious obstacle not only to development of libraries (a quarantine period, put these libraries in a situation of a kind of “self-isolation”), but also the development of the village and the region as a whole. Without access to modern information, we can’t count neither on the economic nor the cultural development of the society and the state. Let me remind you that libraries are the closest to the people, a cultural institution that provides free services.
Technical equipment of libraries, payment of Internet traffic, and to provide them with the means to buy new books (another extremely acute problem of small libraries) — responsibility of local authorities. The company has the right to hold them accountable for the state of Affairs. But the problem seems somewhat wider. In the effective use of technical resources, even those that have libraries scattered throughout Russia, they are hostage to the overall state of digitalization of the country. The lack of stable Internet connection, its low speed makes inefficient use of even the available equipment. Not by chance in some mountainous regions of the country, the share of libraries, equipped with computer��lizirovania reader places is 1-2% of the total number of libraries. In the far East we encounter a situation where 17% are equipped with computers of the libraries of the region do not have access to the Internet.
what you see as your main task in the development of library industry in the coming years?
— I like the President of the Russian library Association is entrusted to the professional community to represent its interests. To a certain extent to be the voice of librarians in the government. This facilitates, in particular, my membership in the Council for culture and arts under the President of the Russian Federation, where I had spoken on the issue of the poor state of the manning municipal library, membership in the Public Council under the Committee for culture, State Duma of the Russian Federation, participation in the work of other similar bodies.
Little to say about the problems and finding their solutions. In the framework of the Russian library Association prepared a draft concept of development of libraries of Russia, which will be discussed at the next all-Russian library Congress. But life does not stand still, and today, in close collaboration with the Ministry of culture developed a more pragmatic document: “Strategy of development of the librarianship of the Russian Federation until 2030”. The fact that the document we developed together with the Department of information and digital development of the Ministry of culture and with the direct participation of Deputy Minister of culture Olga Sergeevna Alloway, gives us confidence that this document will be a good “bureaucratic” destiny, and problems that sees the professional community will be resolved.
If we talk about our interprofessional Affairs, I see my mission in support of the unity of our community, assisting in the processes of self-organization, supporting initiatives widely disseminated. Librarians are creative people, they have a lot of ideas, but each in their organizations, in the workplace they are often difficult to realize their ideas on a larger scale. This is what the Association and its structural division — sections, “round tables” and the Board of the Association led by President.
— I Can name three main reasons why people needs today (after quarantine) to come to the library?
— the Library today is very diverse, and diverse causes to come to them. To each his own.
If you are behind life, though still small, but lived with the book, if you have a need to meet with smart people, to go to the “smart place”, welcome to the library. You will approach the biggest and the smallest of the libraries that you��will tramite in its path.
If you stand on the threshold of change, path selection or boils in you the desire to realize their unencumbered creativity, come to the library — here is an opportunity for choice, and today the library is a laboratory of creative experimentation.
If you decide to seriously engage in the study — a career scientist or become such an expert in what is not seen among the doctors and candidates if finally have a question that you would like to have a serious and deep response — come to the library. (I am convinced that not can become a serious historian — professional or Amateur — the person who never contacted the State public historical library of Russia.)
What would you like librarians in their professional holiday?
Under the onslaught of problems, overcoming the challenges that abound in today’s life, not to lose enthusiasm. Their creativity to contribute to the development of our society, maintain their culture and thereby confirming the indisputable fact that no libraries humanity has no culture, and therefore, no future.
