The CIS Common Library Space in the Context of Humanitarian Cooperation

Abstract

The article reveals the scientific aspects and development practice of the common library space of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS CLS), which over 30 years has formed a system of its organization and mechanisms of functioning. There is reflected the role of libraries in solving the humanitarian problems of the Commonwealth. The article considers the CIS CLS as the main part of the Eurasian library space, and studies it as an independent system. There are highlighted the most important principles of building the CIS CLS. The article shows that during the period under study, the path of formation has been passed, and the circle of common interests and relevant areas of activity has been identified. There is formulated the regulatory and legal framework for the development of librarianship in the CIS countries, the model laws designed to harmonize the national legal documents. The formed organizational system of the CLS functioning includes the interrelated links — national libraries of the CIS, the Library Assembly of Eurasia, the Russian State Library as the basic organization for cooperation in the field of librarianship of the CIS member states, the scientific and practical journal “Herald of the Library Assembly of Eurasia”. The article identifies the priority areas of cooperation: building and preserving national library collections, ensuring open and equal access for users to local and world resources through the use of information technologies, promoting the best examples of national culture and literature, cultural and educational events and ethno-cultural library interaction. The author provides examples of the cooperation programs implementation.The article determines that for the sustainable development and stability of the CLS as a system of library interaction, it is necessary to constantly overcome the contradictions accumulated in it, make adjustments to the definition of common interests and organizational structure. The author concludes that the integration activities of CIS libraries to strengthen the CLS, with the unifying role of the Russian language, serves as the basis for the consolidated inclusion of libraries in the common humanitarian and cultural space of the CIS and in the world information space.