Digitalization as a trend in library development

The purpose of this article is to introduce into the scientific circulation the results of the research work started in 2019 by the Russian State Library (RSL) with the aim to identify, analyze and characterize processes of digitalization of public libraries of the Russian Federation as well as to make the forecast of their further development. In the course of the research, there was done the analysis of normative documents, publications in the professional press and on the sites of Russian and foreign journals, other net actors, accumulating and testing scientific information about digitalization of librarianship; examination of libraries’ sites as points of access to distant library services.The summarization of the significant empirical base made it possible to identify and characterize the main trends in the process of digitalization of public libraries, as well as to conduct a comparative analysis of international and domestic experience in the introduction of digital technologies into library practice.During the first two stages of this scientific project, there was defined the concept of “library digitalization”, studied the content of the process of library digitalization, identified the main avenues and analyzed forms and areas of application of new information technologies in library practice.The results of the research have indicated that digitalization affects the development of all the main areas of library activities. The introduction of digital technologies leads to significant changes in the forms and methods of library work and library communications.There have been identified several main vectors of library digitalization development: digitization of library collections and creation of digital resources; development of the remote user services via the Internet, robotization of library processes and implementation of mobile communication technologies, augmented reality and radio frequency identification. The objectives of the introduction of digital technologies into library practice have been formulated as follows: liberation of library specialists from routine library work for to perform processes that require intellectual and creative abilities. The results of this research have important theoretical and practical significance.

Implementation of the electronic model of the thematic and typological acquisition plan in the scientific library

Automation of library processes is an important topic in modern conditions of digitalization and transition of human activities to the latest computer technologies. Acquisition of literature to library collections forms the document base for the subsequent work of the library, so this process needs continuous improvement and optimization of its constituent operations. The article is devoted to the application of computer technologies in the preparation and use of the scientific library thematic-typological plan of acquisition as the scientific base of building collections. The object of the article is to present the experience of creating and using the electronic model of the Thematic and Typological Acquisition Plan in the scientific library, to define the perspectives of implementing the data base for information and library servicing UB RAS users.The article presents the results of content analysis of subject headings and indices of the State Rubricator of Scientific and Technical Information for bibliographic descriptions of Russian journals received in 2015–2017, in the Consolidated electronic catalog of periodicals of the Central Scientific Library of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; of books, published by the institutes of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2015–2017, according to the Electronic catalog of Russian books and continuing publications of the Central Scientific Library of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; of publications (published in 2015–2019) of the institutes of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, included in the database of the Russian Science Citation Index on the portal «eLIBRARY.ru» – are presented in the article. It also describes the stages of creation, analyzes the characteristics and capabilities of the database «Thematic-typological acquisition plan» of the Central Scientific Library of the Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Libraries of Tajikistan: current state and development prospects

In the article, the author reveals the systems of libraries in the Republic: the number of libraries, the total amount of library collections in traditional and electronic media. Training and professional retraining of personnel, perfecting the librarians social image, scientific-research and scientific methodical work effectiveness’ growing are of great importance.The dominant role of the National Library of Tajikistan as a center for scientific research of the dynamics and prospects for the development of library and information technologies, advanced training and retraining of library workers in the Republic is observed.The article touches upon priority trends of the National Library development, gives characteristics of some long-term projects, such as “Creation of an electronic collection of book monuments of Tajik-Persian literature”, “Creation of an electronic collection of book monuments on the culture and art of the Tajik people”, aimed at forming the national segment of the electronic collection of book monuments of the Tajik people. Another important direction of its work on preserving and popularizing the historical and cultural heritage is the creation of historical and local history resources for the state public libraries of the Republic.

To the 210th anniversary of the Library of the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (St. Petersburg)

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Development of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences scientific book publishing system (2001–2010)

The study of scientific book publishing, due to its enormous social and state significance, is an urgent task of modern research. This article is the first to consider the system of scientific book publishing in the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) in the period of 2001–2010 thus determining and adding to the history of regional and Russian scientific book publishing. The purpose of the study is to present the development of the system for publishing scientific literature in the SB RAS during this period. The source base of the study is representative: these are numerous documents of the current archives of the Siberian enterprise “Nauka” RAS (Novosibirsk Printing House No. 4) and the Siberian Publishing Company “Nauka” RAS, regulatory acts of the Presidium of SB RAS, Annotated thematic plans for the release of scientific literature for 2002-2010, Publishing houses of SB RAS, materials of the weekly newspaper SB RAS “Science in Siberia” for the same period.The revealed data allow reconstructing the picture of the scientific book publishing system development in SB RAS and its thematic orientation in the first decade of the XXI century. The results obtained show that the prevailing part of published scientific literature – every third edition – during this period was on archeology, history, philology, philosophy, law.The study refined quantitative data on the release of serial publications, revealed the role of the Presidium SB RAS in developing the system of scientific book publishing, expanded the idea of cooperation between SB RAS and SIF “Nauka” RAS.The results obtained provide an opportunity to redefine and assess the evolution of their relationship during the period under review. The continuing decrease in the share of CIF in the total volume of publications of SB RAS can be interpreted as the crisis increase, but the implementation of significant and complex publishing projects speaks for a new paradigm of relations between them: mutually beneficial, effective and promising.

Algorithms for contactless scanning of book monuments

The article is devoted to the questions of cultural heritage preservation by creating the digital collection of book monuments. The original documents are monuments of book culture and their dilapidated state requires careful handling, splitting of documents for scanning is extremely undesirable. The market does not present the equipment for contactless scanning of books without embroidering, therefore an algorithm that allows digitalizing book monuments in a contactless way has been developed. The technique has been constructed using an algorithm based on the projection of the light grid on the object scanned. The authors propose a sequence of actions consisting of image processing and comparing the results between two images. The first snapshot determines the initial parameters of the grid; the second snapshot determines the actual distortion of the test snapshot. Subsequent mathematical processing allows getting scanned images without absence of geometric distortions of the scanned page due to the system of using the two-dimensional array of corrections. The application of the system has been modeled on the example of «The legend of the destruction of Siberian cities of Tara and Tyumen by the lesser Tatars / / Collection of moral stories, words, lives and other articles [hand.]». The evaluation parameters of the simulation result have been the following: text distinctness, absence of geometric distortions, color quality, uniformity of document scanning quality within a single book, etc., as checked and recognized as high by the experts.The experience described opens possibilities of book monuments digitization using the new algorithm. The development of the system is aimed at expanding the database of objects of material culture to be digitized, perfecting the software, improving the quality of digital images, as well as the capabilities of image recognition and search for the document itself and information it contains.

The importance of Azerbaijan libraries in forming the society information culture. Reflections about the monograph by A. T. Abdullaeva “Information literacy and libraries in the system of cultural and historical values“ (2019)

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Directions of scientific research in the Ural Branch of the RAS (scientometric analysis of publications)

Compliance of studies with the priority directions of scientific development in the country is an important factor in realizing the research potential of scholars. The article analyzes the directions of scientific research held in the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (UB RAS) organizations and their interdisciplinary interactions in the context of RF priority areas of science and technology development. The research bases on the content analysis of strategic documents at the national and federal levels, programs for the development of the scientific sphere (Forecast of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030) and the analysis of scientific activities of the institutes of the Ural Branch based on scientometric data (Scopus).It is revealed that the leading research directions of Ural scientists enter scientific fields, which, due to the Forecast, are promising for science and technology development. These areas include “Materials Science”, “Biochemistry and Molecular Biology”, “Medicine”, “Immunology and Microbiology”, “Pharmacology, Toxicology, Pharmacy”, “Energy”.Fundamental scientific fields, not dir ectly reflected in the key areas of science and technology development, contribute to their development through the established interdisciplinary ties. They include “Physics and Astronomy”, “Chemistry”, “Engineering”, “Mathematics” and others. Researches on interdisciplinary problems have greater potential for international cooperation.

About the bibliography of Tajikistan

The article deals in brief with the history of Tajik bibliography. Basic attention is paid at the development of bibliography in the Republic in the Soviet period. Characteristics of the main State centers of bibliographic activity – the Book Chamber of the Republic of Tajikistan, State Republican Library named after Firdousi, from 1993 – the National Library of Tajikistan, Central Scientific Library of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan named after I. Gandy are given. Bibliographic and bio-bibliography works are enumerated, published in the Republic in different historical periods.

SWOT analysis of subscriptions to printed and electronic periodicals

The rapid development of digital technology has led to the need of replenishing library collections with both traditional and electronic resources. Against this backdrop, a topical question has emerged: In what proportion should the library collections be replenished with printed and electronic resources? This topic is of particular importance in the context of forming collections of periodicals. The purpose of the study was to assess the potential of print and electronic periodicals and identify criteria for selecting the optimal approach to replenishment of library collections.For the first time, an attempt was made to use the strategic planning method - SWOT analysis.The study contained three stages, the description and the results of each are presented in the article. The analysis resulted in assessing the potential of electronic and printed periodicals to provide information services and proposing criteria for choosing the format of subscriptions to periodicals.