Development of library services to remote users in the Russian State Library

Citation

Fedorov, V. and Berezina, N. (2003), "Development of library services to remote users in the Russian State Library", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 31 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilds.2003.12231bab.001

Development of library services to remote users in the Russian State Library

Keywords: Library services, National bibliographies

This is the third selection of national library contributions published by ILDS. In previous issues we have covered: Brazil, Israel, Australia, Canada, Slovenia and The Netherlands.

Development of library services to remote users in the Russian State Library

As with libraries all round the world, the Russian State Library (RSL) is not able, from its own resources, to fulfil all its users' library and information needs. Its library and information service satisfies the needs of both onsite users of its reading rooms as well as those of remote users.

Issues relating to interlending and document supply are currently uppermost in the minds of the Russian library community. The development of the interlending and document delivery system in the RSL is following lines similar to those of national libraries elsewhere in the world, although there are some specific issues pertaining to the present state of technology in Russia, together with the prevailing financial situation. In Russia, as in the rest of the world, there are continuing discussions about the development of the shared national collection. An important issue is how best to satisfy users' demands for a wide range of access to materials, regardless of where such material might be located. The rapid spread of new information and telecommunication technologies broadens the possibilities for searching for information about documents; the availability of electronic bibliographic databases available through both Russian and international information networks is another important factor.

As recently as a few years ago, certain libraries in Russia attempted to solve the economic and technological difficulties facing them by acting independently of other libraries. It has, however, become clear that libraries have to work together regionally, nationally and internationally in order to achieve any real progress. A recent development in Russia is the introduction of consortia to ensure co-operative activity in building up collections, preferential interlending and document supply services, and reduced prices for information services for members. It is now commonly believed that the RSL is at the forefront of developments in the field of interlibrary loan, not only in Russia, but also in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The RSL leads the relevant Interdepartmental Coordinating Board for Russia. Active work with Russian libraries within the framework of the Russian Library Association is in full swing.

In 2001, according to a decision of the heads of governments of the CIS countries, an interlibrary loan section was set up as part of the CIS's Inter-government Committee on Scientific and Technological Development; this section is headed by the RSL. A long series of documents laying the legal groundwork for library co-operation, together with appropriate technological standards, has been drawn up. These documents take account of the new social and economic circumstances affecting Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. They contain a strong emphasis on how best to provide remote users with documents. It is planned to approve and implement these wide ranging draft ordinances, which are based closely on the IFLA recommendations and standards relating to interlibrary lending. Within the next five years, the RSL plans to develop and implement a streamlined system of new services to remote users.

Because of the varying technical capabilities of users, there will be a need for several years to come to continue to offer a wide range of services – from the traditional lending of documents by means of the interlibrary loan of originals, or the supply of photocopies or microcopies, to the provision of electronic copies. Over time, the interlibrary loan of modern published items is likely to decrease in scale, but it will still be needed for older material. Furthermore it is clear that a significant element of library stocks will never be replaced by any electronic forms and that the production of printed books and journals will never cease.

The lack of any universal union catalogues (there is only a Russian union catalogue of scientific and technological publications kept since 1980) means that users are obliged to visit several libraries in search of a specific item. Two national libraries, the Russian State Library and the Russian National Library, have launched the project "Libnet" in order to make progress. It is hoped that other libraries will also take part in due course. Within the next five years the RSL will go ahead with the active introduction of new information and telecommunication technologies into all processes. This will open up new ways of meeting users' information requirements.

The planned "circulation" module, to be put into operation in 2003, will allow the RSL to move to automated technology for order processing through the library's electronic catalogue, thereby eliminating the filling in of the order slips by hand. Mistakes will be minimised and systems simplified; automated responses to customers regarding the outcome of their requests will become the norm. As a result of increased speed and efficiency, the range and number of items loaned and received will be increased; this will enable orders to be accepted directly from users regardless of place of residence. Applications will be made directly to the RSL, bypassing local libraries, as appropriate. It will be the user who will decide how to submit orders – by post, by fax or by e-mail.

The RSL faces a formidable challenge in setting up such a system to provide a rapid and low-cost document delivery service. By way of solving the problem the RSL has made some structural changes. The loan department has been transformed into the Centre of Interlending and Document Delivery; it is presently being fitted out with up-to-date equipment capable of taking orders in any form and of making copies of documents in any form. For the time being, information queries from users are answered by the non-commercial service "The Russian Courier", with whom the RSL has been cooperating successfully for many years on a contract basis. Services to users through the interlending and document delivery service involve a wide range of libraries; account will be taken of national and international standards and of other accepted guidelines. The development of integrated networks capable of acting as one united system is a major objective for Russian libraries. It is clear that the electronic library concept within the RSL will have a significant impact on the speed with which users' needs will be satisfied. The issue of copyright, however, raises a number of problems in the electronic sphere.

The issue of reproducing documents in the shape of photocopies is adequately dealt with by the Russian law "On copyright and related rights", which allows libraries to serve most users' requests. Electronic copying of documents and their subsequent use, however, raises many issues. In order to address these issues, an interdepartmental working group has been set up within the RSL. It is currently engaged in developing proposals and amendments to the afore-mentioned law and it is hoped that a rational solution will be found in the near future.

Although the opinions of foreign specialists differ in regard to this issue, most of them have by now come to accept that new information technologies offer considerable opportunities for further development, assuming that libraries pool their efforts regionally, nationally and internationally.

Victor FedorovDirector General, Library Information Service

Natalia BerezinaDirector, Library Information Service