Bibliography Studies of the Russian State Library: History and Present Situation

Abstract

The Russian State Library has made significant contribution to the development of Russian bibliographic thought, starting from the period of the Great Patriotic War (holding scientific conferences, defending PhD theses on bibliography topics by library employees). The major achievement is the development of problems of recommendatory bibliography: the works by B.A. Smirnova of the 1940s through 1960s, major collective studies conducted in 1967—1989 under supervision of the V.I. Lenin State Library of the USSR on the problems of “Effectiveness of recommendatory bibliography in reading guidance” and “Recommendatory bibliography as means of promoting books and reading guidance”. In 1976—1989, the sector of bibliography theory played the significant role in the development of Russian bibliography (since 1983 — the sector of general problems of theory, methodology and organization of bibliography). The release of the serial collection of scientific works “Voprosy bibliografovedeniya” [Questions of bibliography science] (1976—1990) was of great theoretical and organizing value. In the 1990s, when there were no divisions on bibliography science, a number of monographs and dissertations on bibliographic topics were created by individual Library employees. In the Scientific research department of bibliography, established in 1999, there was organized the bibliography science sector (existed until 2015), where famous bibliographic scholars V.A. Fokeev and B.A. Semenovker worked. Within the framework of the sector, G.L. Levin researched on the problems of the national bibliography of Russia. Studies in bibliography science were also created by the other employees of the Department (S.P. Bavin, A.V. Teplitskaya). In 2001, there were resumed publication of the collection “Voprosy bibliografovedeniya” and the activity of the Dissertation Council, where seven dissertations on bibliographic topics were defended by the RSL employees. At present, both researchers and bibliographers of the Scientific Research Department of Bibliography carry out scientific research in parallel with the compilation activities. The authors of bibliographic publications are also employees of other scientific and library divisions of the Russian State Library. Of great importance is the activity of the Scientific Research Department of Bibliography on the information support of bibliographic science, such as creation of indexes of bibliographic literature and bibliographic production of libraries.