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Altai Regional Universal Scientific Library n.a. V.Y. Shishkov

Altai Regional Universal Scientific Library n.a. V.Y. Shishkov (founded in 1888)
Russia, Siberian Federal District, Altai Region, Barnaul

Altai Regional Universal Scientific Library (ARUSL) named after V.Y. Shishkov is the largest information center of Altai Region. It operates in strategically important areas to help enhance the level of education and culture, the development of the socio-economic sphere and the investment attractiveness of Altai as well as the preservation of historical and cultural heritage of the region. Confidently creating a new page in its history the library constantly strengthens its resource base, increases its holdings, implements large-scale projects in the fields of culture, science and publishing.
Today our library can offer the richest palette of information sources in the region. The library collections feature the four-century-old history of book culture, they include documents in 160 languages of the world. Our readers have access to printed publications (1,409,633 items), electronic library with full-text articles (more than 18,000 documents), databases of the largest information centers in Russia. There are branch reading rooms and divisions focused on providing specialized socially significant information to our users. The Legal Information Public Center, the Center of Technology and Innovation Support, and the Environmental Center are among them.

In addition to providing access to valuable resources, the library actively creates its own ones. Those containing information about the Altai region are truly unique, they include the Electronic library, formed on the principle of thematic collections, «The Altai Literary Map», «The Altai Environmental Map», local history data portal «The Electronic Resources of Altai» (the latter was subsidized by the Russian President in 2013).

One of the strategic aims of the library is the preservation and spreading of the information about Altai. ARUSL has the complete collection of books published on the Altai territory in XIX-XXI centuries (more than 44,000 items) and the unique holding of local literature, including documents since 1788. The replenishment of the local press and local history funds is accomplished by the Altai Territory “Law On Obligatory Copy of Documents» (about 4,000 books every year) and large-scale projects implemented by the library and aimed at the growth of readers’ interest in works of regional writers and those who are creating vivid artistic image of the region in their works. Among such projects are the festival «Published in Altai» and the regional competition «The Best Book of Altai» (2006).

A significant factor in the development of local history is also the library publishing activity. The special role belongs to such projects as «Altai in the works of the 18th — early 20th centuries scientists and travelers» (in 4 volumes), the annual calendar of significant and memorable dates «The Altai Region» (since 1987), and bibliographic and biobibliographic indexes «The Researchers of the Altai Region», «The writers of the Altai Region», «The Artists of the Altai Region», etc.
ARUSL is the coordinator of the library development in the region. To develop the library potential in the region, which includes 1032 municipal and regional libraries, we fulfill the regional programs aimed at replenishing and preserving the collections and establishing model libraries. Our library is the developer and coordinator of the concept of a unified library and information environment of the Altai Region.

The library has an important role in the cultural life of the Altai Region. It realizes various projects aimed both at the general public and the community profile. Among the latter there are successfully operating clubs attracting interested audience and giving opportunities for intellectual communication, the development of creativity: Literary club, Movie lovers club, Photo fans club, Lingvoclub and others. The library also holds about 400 events per year, among them — meetings with writers, creative evenings, book exhibitions, book presentations and literary festivals. In recent years, the Regional library implements the all-Russian project «Night at the Library” in Barnaul. Every year this event becomes one of the most exciting activities for a huge audience in the Altai Region.

The Regional Library has been successfully applying new technologies into user service, offering our readers a wider range of opportunities for education, development, and communication. Currently, the library is actively introducing RFID-technology (radio frequency identification), which in particular helps users obtain faster service.

By the end of 2016 electronic library cards will be tested — another state-of-the-art innovation which is still a rarity for most Russian libraries.

The Altai Regional Library is approaching another anniversary: it will be celebrating 130 years since its foundation. Years are flying, the library is changing and improving, developing new areas and offering new opportunities to the residents of our region. Our book treasury is a high-tech multifunctional information and cultural complex.

We will be glad to meet you: we hope our professional communication will mutually enrich our institutions and offer some new interesting opportunities to your and our readers!

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