Here, I have drawn together the comments of several Russian and North American librarians on the changing role of Russian Libraries and Librarians. As you will be able to tell from the links I have provided, Russian libraries are beginning to be a presence on the World Wide Web. I have managed to find many links in English, since this is an introduction to Russian libraries directed towards English readers, however, I have included some links in Russian for those who can read both languages.

In his article "Totalitarianism, the Soviet Librarian, and Critical Thinking," Arkadii Sokolov points out that totalitarianism still affects Russians' minds, and this is reflected in library collections and practices. In order to move away from totalitarianism, people have to understand the effect it has had on society. He explains that the enormity of the Soviet library system was always used to inspire awe in Russians as well as foreigners. The amazing development of this system is countered by its role in society. Librarians were either Communist Party officials who enforced control and censorship, library personnel who carried out their orders, and a few "freedom-loving intellectuals" to whom critical thinking came naturally. Now, all library personnel have the freedom to think critically. They are no longer repressed by fear, and are in a position to consider the problems that face Russian libraries, and to think about the future (151-153).

Boris Volodin wrote an article in response to Arkadii Sokolov's commentary, "Totalitarianism, The Soviet Librarian and Critical Thinking" (above). In "Totalitarian Reality and the Intellectual and Spiritual Potential of Society: Certain Contradictions of Russian Literary History," Volodin writes that Sokolov's theme is one that needs to be examined in much greater depth. He points out that, though what Sokolov said is true, there are positive aspects of Soviet librarianship. There were certain library researchers who, despite the odds, wrote on topics that had nothing to do with Marxism-Leninism: "A genuine height was reached in the development of Russian library science during the first years of the so-called Khrushchev Thaw in 1956. Brilliant original works appeared whose authors interpreted the problems of librarianship in our country within the context of world library experience... At the same time, in arriving at their original solutions, they took into consideration the specific condition in their own country. Among this group, several names stand out: Iurii Grigor'ev, Boris Kanevskii, Iraida Kripicheva, Tat'iana Stupnikova, and Georgii Firsov" (157).

Volodin also points out that there were branches of library studies that were "free of the influence of communist ideology" (157), such as the history of the book and the study of bibliography. (In the absence of automation, Soviet librarians became masters at creating bibliographies of their collections for their users. Of course, these could be used to steer users towards the Marxist-Leninist elements of the collection, but this was not always the goal.) Also, libraries outside the former USSR have benefited from the examples of Soviet libraries. Volodin concludes: "┘the totalitarian reality and society's intellectual and spiritual potential are two different phenomena. An examination of the problem of how these phenomena interact calls for an approach that consider the problem in all its diverse aspects" (159).
 

Several Russian librarians have written that post-Soviet librarians need to change their basic philosophy about what a library is. The crisis in libraries is a product of the crisis of post-Soviet identity: "┘today many universal values related to one's view of the world, morality and ethics have turned out in society to have been deformed" (Melent'eva 35). Iuliia Melent'eva believes that librarians must strive to help users learn to think critically, so that they can evaluate those destroyed values as well as new values. In order to accomplish that, programs of self-evaluation need to be developed so that librarians can examine their own values and learn critical thinking themselves. Along with examining their own perceptions, librarians must undertake user studies in order to discover users' perceptions of the library as well as of librarians. Russian librarians must also learn to meet the "true" interests of individual patrons, rather than telling them what they should want to read.

Another librarian explains her view that reference librarians must take a pro-active role in their jobs. They must figure out ways to stimulate the users' minds, so that users will learn to think critically about the material they read. Margarita Dvorkina believes that users should be aware of the connections between related literature and should understand why the system of classification relates certain works. She expresses her view of the library as an interactive system in which both staff and users contribute to its dynamic, intellectual atmosphere. Dvorkina gives the positive example of a library that combines book exhibits with the exhibition of the work artists, or with cinematic presentations and recorded readings: "The library of the Timiriazev Agricultural Academy may serve as an example of a fairly successful utilization of the total environment. This library frequently exhibits young, often controversial, artists whose works present a challenge to critical interpretation. Book shows are often held in conjunction with provocative art exhibits. The library also conducts video screenings and recorded readings" (30). This way, the library can fulfill its role as a centre of culture and personal development.

One librarian paints a very encouraging picture of changes that are taking place in Russian libraries, from the standpoints of diversity and intellectual freedom. Ekaterina Genieva writes that religious books of all kinds began to flood into Russia in the late 1980's. She and her colleagues at the All-Russia State Library for Foreign Literature in Moscow have made these resources available to their users. They received donations, and were also able to open previously restricted collections. She reports, "The first months of public use of this collection revealed the great spiritual thirst of 'atheist Russia'" (48).  She emphasizes the fact that their collection includes open access to "the literature of  the non-Christian world" (49). Diversity is important to her. She recognizes a need to carry out user-needs studies, and to push for automation in order to meet the demands of her library's patrons. She expresses the hope that collections such as theirs will have a profound impact by helping the people of her country find spiritual values.
 

Several Russian librarians have written about the need for librarians to understand user searching and research habits. Andrei Kapterov discusses the process of understanding and conceptualization from psychological and philosophical viewpoints. He takes the semantic theory of deSaussure and fits the role of text and document into the process: "┘we have identified a minimum of five fundamental objects of informational space┘ image, sign, concept, text, and document" (50). He creates a complex model in which logic, emotion, spirituality, and communication all contribute to the process of thinking and understanding. Kapterov explains that librarians must be aware of the complexity of this process, and the fact that it differs in the mind of every individual. They must learn to provide individualized service to meet the needs of each user. Librarians must also use their knowledge to create information policies that will advance the role of libraries in society.

In two articles that I found, librarians discussed the changing attitudes of readers in post-Soviet Russia. These changes, of course, directly impact librarians.

In "Reading in Post-Soviet Russia," Valeria Stel'makh reports the results of public opinion surveys, which indicate that the reading habits of the general Russian public have changed over the last decade. Readers have turned their backs on the mass ideological literature of the didactic "socialist realism" style that prevailed in the official press during the Soviet period. There are great demands for business literature and books on studying foreign languages, reflecting the economic and social changes in the country. Readers are also turning to pop culture, a phenomenon that did not really exist in the Soviet Union. Stel'makh reports that library users are increasingly demanding Russian translations of foreign titles. There is a controversy among Russian librarians about the inclusion of such works in libraries. While some librarians support openness and balanced collections, others are having a hard time leaving their Soviet values behind. Stel'makh concludes, "┘true cultural synthesis is impossible as long as we have this shattered society with the antagonistic interests and priorities of different groups which still adhere to Soviet stereotypes and prejudices" (110).

Another Russian librarian with an obvious interest in literature begins her article with an overview of censorship and literary dissent in Soviet Russia. Iulia Babicheva describes the vast unknown repositories of the Russian/Soviet cultural memory that exist in the vaults of the GULAG prison camps, where so many dissidents were sent to be silenced: "The vaults of the GULAG catacombs continue to hold on to their secrets: whatever was written there is just beginning to come back to us, and much of it probably has been lost forever. There is little hope, for example, that we will ever be able to see the scraps of paper containing the last verses of the great Russian poet Osip Mandelshtam who died in the camps of the far east. Nevertheless, some of the literature created in the "catacombs" has been preserved for us by chance┘ The prison camp literature from the 1930's through the 1950's is a whole branch of Russian literature, which our former countryman Vasilii Betaki called "truly Soviet," as opposed to socialist realism" (6).

One of the roles of the post-Soviet librarian will be to collect and create access to these works. Linked to this is perhaps an even more difficult task. Another role of the post-Soviet librarian is to help bring about "the Big Synthesis." This concept refers to the attempt to create an overall understanding of Russian cultural values, which have evolved, but have been obscured by terror, repression and censorship. Babicheva feels that Russians owe this attempt at understanding to the dissidents who opposed the Soviet system: "The Big Synthesis of national culture must develop a solution for this conflict between the values of the readership of the present and those of the martyred authors of the Soviet past. Otherwise, the return of cultural values paid for by decades of national suffering will only result in a fleeting literary fashion" (9-10).
 

In "Russian Libraries and Readers after the Ice Age," an American librarian, Marianna Tax Choldin, begins by outlining the role of libraries and librarians under the Soviet system. Libraries were dedicated to the spread of Marxist-Leninist ideology, as was dictated by the Communist Party. As a result, librarians had to act as censors, and were instructed to purposefully create biased, restricted collections. She explains: "The climate was sometimes milder, sometimes harsher at various periods, but I think it is not farfetched to describe the Soviet era as an intellectual Ice Age. Certain facts of life remained constant throughout, among them socialization to one's role as censor of self and others; acknowledgment of vaguely defined but clearly understood limits on intellectual and creative expression┘" (27). She goes on to report on an optimistic note that since the official collapse of communism in 1991, librarians of the former USSR have held and attended many conferences on Soviet censorship and its impact on Russian libraries.

Tax Choldin's optimism continues when she discusses the establishment of intellectual freedom in Russia, through the creation of anti-censorship laws, and the participation of Russian librarians in IFLA. She draws a parallel between the issue of intellectual freedom in Russia and the United States: "┘both our societies are multicultural; both have a broad spectrum of religious and political beliefs┘" (31). Tax Choldin comes to the conclusion that the role of the Russian librarians must be to instigate discussion about the new issues facing information providers in their country. They can create an awareness of diversity and advocate for change.
 

The need for change has been recognized by individual librarians, as well as by the government of Russia. The Russian Parliament has passed several laws on libraries and librarianship, with the object of preserving Russian cultural heritage. These laws include the Federal Law On Library Affairs (Федеральный закон о библиотечном деле) (1994) and the Federal Law On Compulsory Copies of Documents (Федеральный закон об обязательном экземпляре документоф) (1994). The Federal Law On Library Affairs states that the two national libraries of Russia are the Russian State Library (formerly the Lenin Library, situated in Moscow), and the Russian National Library (situated in St. Petersburg). These two libraries are to "fulfill the universal information needs of society, are to organize library, bibliographic, scientific, and informational activities in the interests of all the peoples of the Russian Federation, and are to facilitate the development of national and world culture, science and education" [translation from Федеральный закон о библиотечном деле].The Federal Law On Compulsory Copies of Documents outlines the regulations for depository libraries in the Russian Federation. Copies of all works of Russian origin are to be donated to designated depository libraries across the country.

These laws, along with the official recognition of the cultural and educational importance of libraries, should help Russian librarians to deal with the issues discussed above.