Texts

Samokhina M.M.
Library as a social institution and its functions

[Library and society in Russia in the 90s of the twentieth century: materials of the seminar / Moscow. bibl. association, Ros. state b-ka, Ros. state library for the blind, Bibl. benevolent fund. - M., 1994. - S.12-18]

The theory of institutions developed by the American scientist T. Parsons and his followers is one of the classics in sociology. Its main concepts are social goals, social norms, social roles, social expectations, social functions, social exchange. It is with the help of these concepts that institutional behavior and institutional interaction are described.
Social institutions are communities of people organized in accordance with certain rules (norms). A person (individual) acts here as a functionary, performing a certain function, playing a certain role and having certain expectations.
The very concept of function can be considered in different ways. In the proposed version, the social functions of the library are presented in connection not so much with its tasks as with its actions, and, accordingly, not so much with the goals of the institution (although with them too), but with the social roles of functionaries. Such an approach, in my opinion, is logical for library sociology, which is an applied sociology.
The classification of social institutions by spheres of activity makes it possible to single out the institutions of culture, the most important goal of which is socialization, the familiarization of members of the society with the total culture. One such institution is the library. We are talking, of course, about the "Library", that is, in fact, about librarianship. Separate libraries and library systems are considered as social organizations.
The specificity of the library in comparison with other cultural institutions lies in the fact that familiarization with culture occurs through documents that reflect and consolidate the elements of cultural reality. The essential property of a library can be considered (as V.R. Firsov suggests) its ability to model the most significant and regular features of this reality. This ability is realized primarily through the library fund. The library model of culture is a documentary model. It is logical to single out the following four essential functions of the library as a social institution:
1. cumulation - collection and storage of documents and information about them;
2. classification - "folding" documents into a fund that acts as a model of culture;
3. broadcast - providing subscribers with classified (that is, acting as certain parts of the culture model) documents and information about documents;
4. value orientation - hierarchization of model elements, highlighting values ​​and recommending them to subscribers.
The functionaries of the institute are the librarian and the subscriber. A librarian is any person who, within the framework of the institute and in accordance with the standards of the institute, is engaged in library activities, that is, the performance of the above functions. A library subscriber is anyone who realizes the need to join a culture through the library model of this culture. Most often (but not always) the need is implemented in a library query.
For many years, the "drama of functions" has unfolded around the relationship of the fourth of them with the other three. Value orientation, understood as the communist education of readers, was considered the goal of the library. Most of the professional reflection was concentrated around education - theoretical developments, applied research, methodological and practical activities. Even experts on specific technological issues of recruitment, classification, personnel policy, etc. had to deal with this state of affairs.
The cardinal social shifts of recent years have dramatically changed and continue to change the position of the library. The "drama of functions" today revolves around cumulation and translation. Relations with publishers, sources and methods of acquisition, paid services, marketing activities, public relation have become vital issues, and they are actively discussed in the professional environment. Issues related to classification as a social function of the library are less “popular” for now, but I think they will wait their turn very soon and turn out to be no less dramatic.
In order to analyze today's specifics of performing functions and playing the corresponding social roles, one must have an idea of ​​the essence of each function and each role. I will try to give such an idea (of course, within the framework of the proposed version).
All functions are performed simultaneously (the institute is functioning), their consideration in turn is only a methodological technique.
The library model of culture consists of documents and links between documents. The collection of documents and information about them is a condition for preserving the living “flesh” of this model, a condition for its natural development. The content and types of documents available in a given society are not determined by the library, but by other institutions. But an adequate reflection of the cultural reality of the modern world certainly requires the cumulation of various types of documents. The library becomes an "information library", and the book (magazine, newspaper) - one of the types of documents, nothing more. Actually, the movement from the cumulation of printed documents to the cumulation of any documents reflects the movement of society from the “Gutenberg era” to a new era, turning it into informational, and then post-informational; we are simply late with this movement and this transformation.
The performance of the cumulative function externally implies the activity of only one of the institute's functionaries - the librarian. The subscriber is present as a potential consumer. Today, consumer expectations reflect the full range of expectations of a stratified society - with its contradictions, with the reshaping of the social and professional structure, with new approaches and new areas of life. The norm that determines the performance of a function is the possession of the entire set of documents that reflect cultural reality. Accordingly, three normative characteristics of a cumulative librarian can be distinguished:
awareness - knowledge about the presence, location, possibility of acquiring each document;
legal security - the right to acquire any document;
material security - the availability of funds for the acquisition of all necessary documents.
A certain "gap" between the norm and reality, which always exists and ensures the development of the institution, is monstrously large today and is one of the most important reasons for not meeting the expectations of both the subscriber and the librarian himself. This is not only about the poverty of the library, about the impossibility of financially providing the accumulator. His awareness is also not ensured. The appearance of new documents and information about documents often cannot be clearly recorded: the old fixation system is largely broken, while the new one has not been created. No less important are subjective reasons - many specialists are not ready to work in new conditions that require independence, initiative, movement (including physical ones - to "obtain" documents and information).
If the cumulation of documents is the accumulation of elements of the library model of culture, then classification is giving the accumulated a certain form, the most important moment of the actual modeling. Here, as in the previous case, there is one functionary - the librarian; the subscriber is potentially present.
The norms for performing the classification function are naturally related to the classification criteria, which, in turn, are determined by the specifics of the library model of culture. On the one hand, what influences the model is the flow of documents. The culture reflected by this stream is already classified outside the walls of the library, by other institutions. Library criteria “grab” and reinforce this classification. On the other hand, those for whom the model is being created influence - potential subscribers. They are already socialized, introduced to culture by other institutions (family, school, social and professional group), each of which has its own, specific model of culture with its own classification criteria. The languages ​​of the functionaries may turn out to be different, the model unsuitable for translation. Classification norms are the rules for adequate translation from language to language, the rules for developing a common language. The function is executed when a potential subscriber representing any socio-cultural group can see all the characteristics of any document, any part of the model created by the classifier, that are significant for him.
The development of the culture of society means not only the emergence of new texts and new media (types of documents), but also the discovery of new meanings in the old texts. The constant adequacy of the library model to the real state of culture requires not only the emergence of new classes, but the modification of previous classes, reclassification or reclassification of old documents.
There are three "languages" that a classifier librarian should be proficient in. Knowledge of the "language of culture" (its state, directions of development, its parts, aspects, etc.) will allow him to respond to the need of a potential subscriber to "learn" this language. But the subscriber has another need - to receive information about the culture, set out in the "language" of his socio-cultural group; therefore, the classifier must also speak the “language” of the subscriber and use it when developing classification criteria. And, of course, he must master the "language of the institute", in which the library model of culture is created.
Translation is the provision of a model (that is, its specific elements) to the addressee (that is, specific subscribers). The performance of this function involves the interaction of functionaries. The subscriber's need for familiarization with the culture is specified in the request. The subscriber acts as a customer; the librarian-translator is the executor of the order. The rate of performance of the function is the response to the request in the shortest possible time and in the most convenient form for the subscriber. This may explain the approximation of certain "pieces" of the model, a certain part of the documents to certain groups of potential consumers. Such an approximation is the organization of specialized libraries, the purpose of which is to simplify the path for the subscriber to the information that he is most likely to want to use.
In the "gap" between the norm and reality, the institution itself is obviously to blame. Declaring ease of use for certain age, social, professional groups, in some cases he violated the rights of representatives of other groups (the inaccessibility of many "big" libraries), in others he limited precisely those to whom he made promises (withdrawal of children and youth from adult libraries, separation funds). It was not the needs that were differentiated for each subscriber that can be varied, but the subscribers themselves were differentiated. At the same time, the criterion of differentiation chosen by librarians (age, profession, education) was declared basic for the formation of the need for library materials. Access to "inappropriate" materials was closed or restricted. The translator librarian was in fact the censor. The long-term habit of this kind of relationship between functionaries cannot disappear without a trace; it has left a deep mark on the minds of both librarians and subscribers. The translator must know the classification criteria for cumulative documents and their location. The conditions for performing the function are necessary - the availability of means of delivery and transmission, material and organizational capabilities for adequate interaction between the customer and the executor of the order.
Value orientation, like broadcasting, is the provision of elements of a library model of culture to the subscriber. In both cases, there is an interaction of functionaries. However, the roles change: in the first case, the subscriber-customer is active, in the second, the librarian-orientator. The act of translation is the fulfillment of a request, the act of value orientation is associated with the clarification, design, modification of the request, and with the greatest activity of the librarian, with the formation of present and future requests.
The role of the orienting librarian involves mastering the value system of society, being embedded in this system. The librarian acts here as a representative of the advanced cultural groups of society, and ultimately as a representative of the entire society interested in introducing its members to the developing cumulative culture. He "turns" the model to the subscriber with that "side", which most clearly reflects the values ​​of culture. Incidentally, this makes the library not only an institution for the storage and dissemination of values, but also an institution for their indirect creation, that is, promotion as values. Such advancement occurs in the process of classification and value orientation. The presence of a model of culture allows us to correlate the elements of this model with time, to take from the "reserves" what new meanings are revealed, which can become a value for new generations.
The role of the librarian-orientator implies authority, that is, the ability to draw the subscriber's attention to the process of "turning" the model and to the results of this process.
The “oriented” subscriber (just like the subscriber-customer) wants to join the overall culture through the library model, but, unlike the customer, he is ready to clarify his request or accept information for which there was no request at all. He agrees to "see" that "side" of the model of culture, which the librarian "turned" it. This agreement is due to the coincidence of the values ​​of the functionaries and/or the authority of the librarian. It is the specifics of the value-oriented function that assumes, as one of the norms of the institute, the functioning of librarians in it, representing various sociocultural groups with different systems and hierarchies of values. The subscriber's expectations ("images" of what, in fact, he wants to join) are closely related to his sociocultural experience. A stratified society gives the library stratified subscribers. In a specific request, each of them, with equal reason, can act as a representative of a national, social, age group. In all these cases, the subscriber's expectations are adequate to the goals and functions of the institution.
The librarian is also a representative of a certain group. But he realizes this affiliation of his only when he performs the value-oriented function. In all other cases, the librarian acts as a representative of society as a whole. It participates in the socialization of subscribers by providing them with a wide choice of documents, cumulated and classified in such a way that they reflect the overall culture and can be correlated with the realities and criteria accepted in the culture of any of the social groups.
The total culture of society is both reproduced and developed. Here lies the contradiction of the activities of all social institutions that ensure this reproduction and development. Contradiction drives institutions, allows them to persist and meet social expectations.
In our case, the contradiction, obviously, is expressed in the fact that the librarian functionary represents both society as a whole, and his own social group, and advanced groups of society, in which his group may or may not be included.
The question of which groups should be considered advanced is always and everywhere a political issue to one degree or another. This is even more true in our society today. This is one of the reasons for the ongoing debate about what value the library should offer to society. The clarification of many substantive problems associated with the performance of the value-oriented function will obviously have to be left until more stable times. Only pluralism (the ability to orient and “be oriented” in different value systems), tolerance (tolerance, the absence of obstacles for orientation in these systems), and observance of human rights remain unconditional.
I think that the activities of not only the institute as a whole, but also individual organizations should be based on such principles. However, these organizations (libraries and library systems) can and obviously will choose priorities. They will find bands they find cutting edge and/or close to them. The point is precisely that the performance of the value-oriented function in relation to the subscribers of each of these libraries does not interfere with the performance of other functions, does not restrict the access of subscribers to certain “pieces” of the library model of culture.

The social purpose of the library is the collection, storage and provision of documents to the user. Hence its ontological function - communication,those. providing communication between the document and the user. The presence of a library is an objective necessity for the existence of any social institution, the social law of its successful activity.

A number of specialists believe that the library performs an informational function. Moreover, they claim that this function is the most important. However information is provided by the document, not even a fund, and even more so not a library. If it performs the information function, then indirectly, i.e. through the documents that make up the library fund. The function of a library as a system is precisely communication: to connect the user with a document that contains the required information. What the user will do with this information: whether he learns it, whether he uses it - for good or for harm - the library is not responsible for this. Its task is to find a document with the necessary documentation, to provide it, to facilitate its use in every possible way, but that's all! In a rare case, at the request of the user and within the limits of his competence, the librarian may take the responsibility to clarify the content of the document, evaluate it, recommend using other sources on the same issue.

It is more correct to assume that the library performs the function of information support serviced institution. Its intended purpose is to provide users with help in satisfying a variety of information needs covering all aspects of life, socialization and self-realization, whether it be (self) education, (self) education, (self) education, health, as well as business, politics, management, entertainment. In other words, it performs auxiliary-production, auxiliary-educational, auxiliary-scientific and other functions. The library plays a leading role in promoting cultural progress and informatization of society.

Throughout the millennia of its existence, the library has performed educational function, introducing the population to all the knowledge developed by mankind in all spheres: science, art, literature, politics, economics, morality, worldview, etc. The library implements the function socialization facilitating the individual's adaptation in society by providing information on a wide range of issues related to his life support and social fitness. A particular manifestation of the function is value-regulatory. It orients the individual in social values, their hierarchy in each historical period, in each particular society.

The library is able to reactionary function, presenting entertainment literature to users, organizing evenings of rest, humorous events and similar entertainment events. The fulfillment of this function radically distinguishes the library from other documentary and communication systems such as archives, bodies of scientific and technical information.

pragmatic function libraries allows it to be a valuable help in solving any production, educational, business, managerial and similar issues. The activities of libraries are subject to the needs of users, as a result of which the essential functions of each of them manifest themselves in a special way, while the main function remains unchanged - documentary and communication.

Depending on the type and type, the specifics of the tasks solved by the library and the information needs of its users, certain functions are in the forefront, and then the rest play a supporting role or disappear altogether. It is difficult, for example, to expect that an academic library, unlike, say, a rest home library, will perform an entertainment function, although a scientist may be interested in a humorous publication or a crossword puzzle as a short-term leisure. On the contrary, it is unlawful to demand from a rural library that it satisfy scientific needs, however, its performance of a cultural and educational function, as well as other functions (assistance in education, raising children, home economics, gardening and horticulture), is quite legitimate.

The content of library activities is to provide users with library products at their request, as well as library, bibliographic, information services. The provision of basic free services is guaranteed by the Federal Law on Library Science. The user has the right to freely receive any non-confidential documented information.

A systematic approach to defining library functions

At the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century, a systematic approach to defining the functions of libraries was developed.

As part of a systematic approach to highlighting the functions of libraries, Stolyarov, Akilina, Sokolov, Motulsky and others worked.

In accordance with the system approach, all phenomena and objects are systems. Each system, on the one hand, is an element of a higher level system (metasystem), on the other hand, it is itself a metasystem, in relation to the elements that form it.

The library as a system consists of 4 elements (library fund, user contingent, library staff, material and technical base). For these elements, the library is a metasystem, in relation to which they perform functions called internal (technological).

Society is the metasystem for the library. The library, as one of the elements of society, performs certain functions in it, which are external (social) for it. They are called social, because through them, the library realizes its social purpose, responding to the needs of society.

Social functions are a list of the library's obligations to society, which are dictated by it, necessary for it, affect it and correspond to the essence of the library as a social institution.

Essential social functions and derived social functions

The social functions of libraries are usually divided into 2 main groups:

• o Essential (main) functions.
• o Derived functions.

Akilina adds 2 more groups of functions to this list:

• o Type-forming (basic).
• o Additional.

Essential (main) functions: these are functions determined by the essence of the library as a social institution. The library has been performing these functions since its inception.

Properties of essential functions:

• o These functions are primary, original and necessary. Changing these functions would lead to the transformation of the library into another social institution.
• o They are stable, immutable and limited in composition.

These features include:

• o Cumulative function - collection in one place of documents of different form and content, created at different times and at different points in space by different authors. Accumulation in the document library. The ideal variant of the cumulative function is the accumulation in one place of all documents produced by mankind.
• o Memorial function - the preservation of the totality of the collected documents in order to pass them on to future generations. The ideal implementation of this function is the eternal storage of all created documents in the library.
• o Communicative function - providing the user with documents, information about documents, organizing oral communication between users and authors of documents and carriers of socially significant information. The ideal implementation of this function is to instantly provide the user with all the documents he needs.

The ideal performance of all these functions leads to a contradiction between them. Further on the textbook.

All 3 named functions are performed by each library, but the level of execution depends on the type and kind of library. For example, the cumulative function will be different for regional and rural libraries. The memorial function will be different for depository libraries and city libraries (a depository library is a library that stores little-used documents). For the national library, the most significant will be the cumulative and memorial functions, because its main task is to collect all the documents published in the republic and about the republic and to keep it all.

For a city, district or rural library, the communicative function is the most important, because The main thing for these libraries is the effective use of the fund.

Derived functions: this group of functions is associated with the variability of the library due to changes occurring in the external environment (political, economic, historical). By means of derivative functions, the library makes actual changes in the organization of its work, clarifies the features of interaction with the external environment.

Properties of derivative functions: dynamism, diversity and instability.

They are inherent in the library, but not mandatory, they change over time, the disappearance of some of them does not lead to a change in the essence of the library as a social institution.

These include:

• o Socializing function - its essence lies in the adaptation of the reader to the environment, through informing on various problems by different forms and methods of the library. In addition, this function is understood as the education of a harmoniously developed personality.
• o Educational function - the library assists in the implementation of educational tasks, helps in learning, self-education, development of cognitive interests.
• o Educational function - implemented in 5 areas:
• § Moral education.
• § Ecological education.
• § Aesthetic education.
• § Patriotic education.
• § Labor education.

Educational and educational functions are most characteristic of educational libraries, but they are also implemented by general libraries.

• o Ideological function - the library contributes to the formation of a certain worldview of the reader.
• o Recreational function - through the reader's recreation through the provision of literature for reading in his spare time and holding public events.
• o Information function - promoting the development of production, the introduction of new achievements in science and practice in the activities of the reader.
• o Aesthetic function - promoting the development of a sense of beauty in a person.
• o Biblio-therapeutic function - through the work of fiction, communication, the consequences of stressful situations and the psychological tension of the reader are removed.
• o Enlightenment function - enlightenment ...

Type-forming functions: are distinguished from the number of derived functions in accordance with the information needs of users of a particular library. In accordance with the information needs of users, public, universal scientific and special libraries can be distinguished; in each of these types of libraries, any one social function will be dominant, which will be the type-forming for this library.

For example, in educational libraries, the dominant functions are educational and upbringing, therefore, they are type-forming for educational libraries.

For a special library, the type-forming function will be the information support of professional production activities.

Additional functions: these functions are performed only by some libraries that have the ability to do this. For example:

• o The function of methodological assistance - it is performed only by libraries - methodological centers that have a methodological department in their structure.
• o Research function - performed only by large libraries with their own research centers.

Collection output:

CULTURAL AND INFORMATIONAL FUNCTION OF THE LIBRARY: TRANSFORMATION IN THE MODERN WORLD

Zakharova Natalia Borisovna

toand. ist. Sciences, Senior Researcher, National Library of Ukraine named afterIN AND. Vernadsky, Ukraine, Kyiv

CULTURAL AND INFORMATION LIBRARY FUNCTIONS: TRANSFORMATION IN THE MODERN WORLD

Natalia Zakharova

candidateof Sciences, Senior Researcher, V. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, Kiev

ANNOTATION

The author traces the transformation of the social functions of scientific libraries in the context of informatization of society, in particular, the development of the cultural and informational function as an important component of the sociocultural function. The activities of library institutions should be subordinated to the optimal cultural and information support for the life of both society and each reader.

ABSTRACT

Transformation of social functions of scientific libraries under circumstances of informatization of a society and development of cultural and informational function as an important component of socio-cultural function are under consideration of the author. Activity of library institutions must be subjected to optimal cultural and informational support for vital activity of a society and its separate member as well.

Keywords: scientific Library; social functions; sociocultural function; information function; cultural and information function.

keywords: scientific library; social functions; socio-cultural function; informational function; cultural and informational function.

The changes taking place in modern society lead to the transformation of the social functions of the library. Its traditional functions have been enriched with new content, and the possibilities for their implementation have expanded. The social transformations taking place in the modern world for the first time raise the question of the existence of traditional libraries, the future of libraries and their functions in modern conditions.

The library as a social phenomenon was considered in their publications by many librarians. At the same time, the analysis of domestic and foreign literature allows us to conclude that the problem of socio-cultural transformations of the library in the current conditions of the formation of a knowledge society is relatively new. An analysis of library practice indicates that the role of a modern library directly depends on information and knowledge as a catalyst for social development.

Previously, it was believed that the main function of the library was the storage of books and other documents. With changes in society, views on the role of the library changed. In particular, in the XIX century. began to allocate memorial and educational functions. After 1917, the ideological function dominated, which was inherent in all scientific, cultural and educational institutions. However, even then, along with this, cultural, educational and scientific information were recognized as the leading functions of libraries. In the 1970s and 80s of the XX century. a detailed study of the social functions of libraries began. Thus, well-known librarians Yu. Stolyarov and A. Sokolov approached them from scientific, and not from ideological positions, which allowed them to form a fundamentally new list of social functions, which, unfortunately, has not yet been clearly defined by scientists and practitioners of librarianship. .

Based on the main activities of modern libraries, in particular scientific ones, the following main derivative social functions can be distinguished: information support for scientific and production activities and sociocultural, since meeting the information needs of the user is the main task of the library as a social institution. Social transformations lead to changes in information requests, the purpose of the library changes accordingly - it is forced to adapt to the new situation, which led to a change in its social role and functions. Communication systems that were laid down in a certain socio-cultural context are determined by many factors of varying degrees of generality and intensity of their influence. Today, there is a constant expansion of the range of communication tools and information technologies created on their basis. They should not be analyzed in isolation from other phenomena and processes that occupy a certain place in culture and occur in our time in different places.

During the last decade, libraries have made a significant breakthrough in the field of information and communication technologies, despite the problems of funding and technical support. Currently, scientific library institutions position themselves as information, cultural centers, as well as centers of international communication. Today, libraries are one of the main sources of new electronic products and services for users. Given the challenges of our time, they are looking for new means of realizing one of their main tasks - providing access to cultural heritage, ensuring compensation for the gap in people's knowledge, constantly providing them with information about new achievements in science, technology, and culture.

Activities aimed at the free creative development of readers, familiarization with the values ​​of national and world culture, creating conditions for cultural activities constitute the cultural, or rather cultural and informational function of the library.

The modern scientific library is an integral and organic part of culture. Providing users with information in a traditional or distant form, the library contributes to their formation as individuals - cultural, educated, because it is the library that has the unique properties of creating an atmosphere of intellectual, moral, aesthetic searches under the influence of reading and communication. The practice of personality-oriented technologies of library communication is based on the version of the culturological concept of M.M. Bakhtin-V.S. Bibler, where we are talking about the idea of ​​a common dialogue as the basis of human consciousness. The library has significant advantages over other social institutions. After all, her participation in the process of socialization has no restrictions in time and availability. Therefore, the socialization of individuals occurs in the process of mastering the cultural heritage that the library preserves. This mastery is carried out not only by traditional means (forming a fund, expanding access to it by means of new information technologies), but also by methods of attracting readers to an active awareness of the surrounding reality, by creating the possibility of communication at all levels and with the maximum use of all types of communication.

The modern stage of the development of society is called informational. The modern information service paradigm is based not only on paper media, it involves the use of fundamentally new opportunities for accessing information. The scientific library in the current conditions of informatization of society provides users with access to traditional documents and digital arrays that exist outside of it. Its implementation is connected with providing readers with access to Internet resources and providing qualified advice when searching for the necessary information. In this process, the library performs its cultural and informational function, it acts as an important channel of information about world processes in the field of science and culture. Scientific library as a cultural and information center of a modern, intellectual society:

· develops and supports the study, storage, dissemination and protection of national culture;

promotes the dissemination of the values ​​of national culture and acquaintance with other cultures, fosters respect for them;

· contributes to the organization of social intercultural dialogue;

creates conditions for individual and collective creativity.

The cultural and informational function of the library in modern society is enhanced by the desire of each person to deepen knowledge of history, culture, science, as well as wide access in the context of globalization of information on the history of culture, science of other countries and peoples.

Libraries traditionally disseminate information, they contribute to the development of general educational and general cultural processes in modern society, dominating among other information institutions, since such libraries have a rich historical and cultural base - their universal funds.

The traditional forms of promoting this knowledge: scientific and practical conferences, seminars, round tables, theme evenings, book and illustration exhibitions, painting exhibitions, photo exhibitions, etc. are combined today with electronic exhibitions (book, magazine, illustrative materials, music, etc. .), online conferences and other events using modern technologies.

On the basis of scientific libraries, significant work is being done to preserve the national heritage: bibliography, conservation and the creation of insurance copies of documents that make up a particularly valuable part of the funds and book monuments. Thus, within the framework of the national programs of Germany, France, the USA, Russia, the Baltic countries and Ukraine, reading rooms and centers have been opened that provide information about the political and social life of other countries, their culture, as well as provide an opportunity to meet with representatives of these countries and study foreign languages. languages.

The modern scientific library has become not only an important, but also a defining structural element of the knowledge society. It provides free access to information and knowledge, the achievements of science and culture, actively participates in the development of the national information and communication infrastructure. The information stored in these scientific and cultural institutions becomes an important strategic resource, and the libraries themselves occupy a central place in the process of intellectualization of society, the development of science, education, and culture.

At the beginning of the XX century. there was a certain opposition between the informational and cultural approaches to the library as a social institution. Considering the publications of that period, the position of M.Ya. Dvorkina, who considers the informational, i.e. library, "as a phenomenon of culture and communication, as a mechanism for users to access information and disseminate knowledge." The philosophy of information accessibility, in her opinion, and the ideals of education in the context of the library actually do not differ. Thus, in the socio-cultural aspect in the library, the main function is communication - the organizer, mediator of the meeting of the document and the user.

For example, let's turn to the website of the National Library of Ukraine named after V.I. Vernadsky, where, in addition to traditional types of information for readers, the library website contains information for distant users. Thus, in the “Media about NBUV” section, they can learn about the activities of the NBUV, its unique funds and events held. In the section "Chronicle of News and Events" you can learn more about the events that took place in the library. Among such events is the opening of the documentary and book exhibition “Leonid Kravchuk. 80 years with Ukraine”, which was attended by the first President of Ukraine L.M. Kravchuk; exhibition of creative works of the public organization of the association of disabled people "Source of inspiration", timed to coincide with the International Day of Disabled Persons; scientific conference "Chinese Civilization: Traditions and Modernity" and many others. A useful source for users of this site is information about electronic exhibitions that are prepared by various departments of the NBUV. These are thematic exhibitions (“Legal regulation of the use and protection of mineral resources in Ukraine”, “Materials science and technology of metals”, “Economic research: methodology and organization”, etc.) and personal exhibitions (To the 150th anniversary of the Ukrainian literary critic B.D. Grinchenko, to to the 100th anniversary of N.M. Amosov, Academician of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, to the 95th anniversary of the President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Academician B.E. Paton, etc.).

Technical and technological modernization ensured the strengthening of the information function of the modern library. The library becomes a full-fledged subject of the information space. The modern library makes an important contribution to the dissemination and enhancement of information culture, which, along with computer literacy, is becoming one of the most important conditions for human activity as a full-fledged member of modern and future society.

Activities aimed at the free spiritual development of readers, familiarization with the values ​​of national and world culture, creating conditions for cultural (reproductive and productive) activities constitute the cultural function of the library.

It should be noted that the library does not exist by itself and not for itself. Its existence is justified and conditioned by how effectively it performs its social functions. All activities of library institutions should be subordinated to one general and global goal, namely the optimal cultural and information support for the life of society in general and each reader in particular. Understanding the cultural and information function of a scientific library is connected with understanding it as a cultural and information center of the state, as a place of communication, as a cultural and information space.

Bibliography:

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2. Goncharov S.3. Axiological and creative-anthropological foundations of education / С.3. Goncharov // Economy and culture: interuniversity. Sat. / ed. K.P. Stozhko, N.N. Tselishchev. Yekaterinburg, 2003. - S. 255-275.

3. Gorovoy V.N. Libraries as information centers of post-industrial society / V.N. Gorovoy // B-ki nat. acad. sciences: prob. functioning, development trends. K., - 2005. - Issue. 3. - S. 9-16.

4. Dvorkina M.Ya. Library Service: New Reality: Lectures / M.Ya. Dvorkin. M.: MGUKI Publishing House; IPO "Profizdat", 2000. - 46 p.

5. Dvorkina M.Ya. Some stereotypes of library consciousness / M.Ya. Dvorkina // Professional consciousness of librarians. The need for change in the transition period (Materials of the seminar May 3-4, 1993, Moscow). M., 1994. - S. 14-18.

6. Evstigneeva G.A. Scientific library in the information society / G.A. Evstigneeva // Nauch. and tech. b-ki. - 2004. - No. 8. - S. 5-15.

7. Zhadko N.V. Analysis of the essential characteristics of the library as a socio-cultural institution / N.V. Zhadko // Library Science. - 1996. - No. 3. - S. 54-64.

8. Kalenov N.E. Functions of libraries of the Russian Academy of Sciences in modern conditions / N.E. Kalenov // Information support of science: new technologies: Sat. scientific tr. M., 2005. - S. 6-16.

9. Kostenko L.I. Functions and status of the information society library / L.I. Kostenko, M.B. Soroka // Libraries and associations in a changing world: new technologies and new forms of cooperation. Theme of 2002: Electronic Information Resources and the Social Significance of Libraries of the Future: tr. conf. / 9th intl. conf. "Crimea 2002". M.: GPNTB of Russia, - 2002. - T. 2. - S. 743-746.

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The concept of “Vlfunction” is one of the main ones in the terminological apparatus of any science. With its help, the meaning, the role of objects of reality, the duties performed, the goals and purpose of individual processes and elements of existing systems are determined. In the content of the concept under consideration, experts see that which is common to related social systems, and those features that allow them to be differentiated.

The concept of "Vlfunction" plays a special role within the framework of the system approach, where it acts in close connection with the concept of structure. In library science, an example of such an understanding of functions can be the structural and functional analysis of a library as a system, carried out by Yu. N. Stolyarov.

Despite the key position of the concept of "Vlfunction" in the apparatus of science, in modern library science there is no generally accepted understanding of it, and the composition of library functions is defined in different ways. As a rule, functions are seen as a means of adapting a library to existing social conditions and in connection with this, different groups of functions are distinguished: main, basic, general, essential, immanent, ontological, genetic, initial, system-forming, external, specific, type-forming, historical, derivatives, applied, additional, auxiliary, private, technological and others.

The library, as one of the elements of society, performs certain functions in it, which are external to it. At the same time, it forms a system consisting of several elements, with its own functions, which in relation to it act as internal,

The main distinguishing characteristic of social and technological functions is the scope of their distribution. Social are external functions that go beyond the library. They are formed under the influence of the needs of society, directly affect it and its individual members. Technological - these are internal functions that do not go beyond the library. They are a means for the library to carry out its social functions, are formed under their influence and ensure the implementation of the library's activities in accordance with applicable standards. Technological functions act as secondary in relation to social ones and serve for their implementation.

The library has always existed and does not exist by itself, it is an element of society with its own range of duties. The external functions of the library are its response to the needs of society, determined by the way it interacts with the external environment. As an artificially created system, the library realizes its social purpose through external functions, which is why they are most often called social.

In view of the foregoing, the social functions of the library can be defined as the social role that it performs as a social institution in relation to society.

The social functions of libraries are divided by most researchers into several groups. The first attempt to classify social functions in 1977 was made by I.M. Frumin, naming general and specific. Following him, Yu. N. Stolyarov singled out immanent, essential and others, V.R. Firsov - basic and subordinate, A. V. Sokolov - essential and applied, etc. E. T. Seliverstova even singled out four groups of social functions: main, type-forming, derivative and additional.

When studying the activities of any social institution, including libraries, it is legitimate to single out two interrelated aspects that characterize its essence and variability. In accordance with the first aspect, each social institution has an internal unchanging essence that allows it to perform a clearly defined role in society, regardless of the historical period, the socio-demographic structure of society, and the specific current tasks facing it. In view of the foregoing, the essence of the library is manifested in the collection and storage of socially significant documents in order to meet the information needs of users. This was and is the main goal of the activities of libraries, regardless of what country they are located in, what user groups they serve and what tasks the founders set for them. This allows us to consider that these social functions reflect the essence of the library and call them essential.

Consequently, the essential social functions of libraries are functions determined by the essence of the library as a social institution. The library began to perform these functions from the moment of its inception. Noting this, A. V. Sokolov emphasizes that these functions are primary, initial and necessary. Changing the essential social functions would lead to the transformation of the library into another public institution, so they are stable, unchanged and limited in composition.

The second aspect is characterized by variability, since society is constantly transforming in the process of development: its ideology, morality, religion, political and social structure are changing, the value system of society and its individual social groups is being refined. All this makes adjustments to the activities of libraries, puts forward new tasks for them, which, in turn, require changes in the internal organization of their work, clarification of the features of interaction with the external environment. The fulfillment of a public role associated with changes in the external environment is carried out by libraries through derivative social functions. These functions are connected with the desire of society to use the essential capabilities of libraries to solve current problems. Some of the derivative functions appeared simultaneously with the essential ones, and some arose in the process of historical development. In connection with their derivation from essential ones, they are considered secondary.

Essential Social Functions

Above, we indicated that the essential functions should include those that define the essence of the library as a special social institution, indicate what it was created and exists for, what distinguishes it from other institutions or unites it with related ones.

In the approach to the formation of the list of essential social functions of libraries, two trends are observed - some authors (I. M. Frumin, L. A. Shilov, A. N. Khropach and others) name as essential:

Ø educational,

Ø educational,

Ø production function,

others (Yu. N. Stolyarov, A. V. Sokolov, V. R. Firsov, E. T. Seliverstova, I. K. Dzherelievskaya, N. V. Zhadko):

Ø cumulative,

Ø memorial,

Ø communicative.

Recently, library scientists have been actively searching for the only function that determines the essence of the library as a social institution. The main methodological principle of this approach is the assertion that all public institutions, spheres of human activity, cultural products, including libraries, have a strict and unambiguous specific function.

In the early 1990s, the information function was put forward as the only essential social function. Proponents of this point of view argue that the majority of the current concepts of the social role of the library lies in the fact that, explicitly or implicitly, to a greater or lesser extent, attention is focused on the fulfillment of the information function by the library, and that, despite the internal inconsistency of the informational approach to the analysis of the prospects for library development , it was he who became dominant. Proponents of the information approach associate the revision of the attitude towards the information function with the search for a place and the role of the library in the information sphere, the prospects for integrating the library with other information institutions in the information infrastructure of society, the transition from a restrained confrontation between the library community and the information sphere to the recognition of the importance of library informatization, creative understanding of the experience of foreign colleagues, which could help us gradually prepare for the transformation into an information society with the lowest economic costs.

In 1990, the information function was recognized by V. V. Skvortsov as the one and only essential for the library, since the essence of the substance with which the library operates is not a document, not a publication, but information. N. I. Tyulina adhered to the same point of view, according to which the information function Bli is inherent in the library as a social institutionB ": it Vl comes out of the general list of library functions, no matter what criterion it is builtB".

Despite the widespread view of the information function as the main and only one, its content is interpreted in different ways: as informing the user about the documents available in the library or outside it; as an activity for analytical and synthetic processing of information; as providing users with conceptual and factual information. There is also a broader understanding, when all the processes associated with the movement of information in the library are presented as a single information function.

Along with the information approach, the communication approach has also become widespread in recent times. Its founder is Yu. N. Stolyarov, who in the early 1980s, based on the fact that the library’s social purpose ... is to provide a spatio-temporal act of communication, came to the conclusion that the library’s immanent social function is communicative. In the future, this function, along with other essential social ones, was called by V. R. Firsov, A. V. Sokolov, E. T. Seliverstova, I. K. Dzherelievskaya, M. S. Slobodyanik, N. V. Zhadko.

From our proposed definition of the “social function of a library”, taking into account the positions of scientists, it follows that the essential social functions are due to the public purpose of the library. Therefore, the essential functions should be those that ensure the collection, storage of documents and the satisfaction of user needs, that is, communication, cumulative and memorial.

Communication function of libraries

The main goal of the library activity - to satisfy the information needs of users - is realized through communication between the document and the user, therefore it is reasonable to call this function a communication one. Performing it, the library acts as an organizer of the place and time of the meeting of documents produced at different times, by different authors and dispersed at different points in space, with users located in a specific space-time continuum. The main form of implementation of this function is the direct provision to the user for a certain time both in the library and outside it of the documents he needs. The communication function provides access to documents and their prompt receipt by all interested users.

The implementation of the communication function by the library is also associated with providing users with information about the document array. In accordance with the user's request, they can be limited by one or another framework: the place and time of production of documents, authorship, subject matter, purpose, storage location and other parameters. This activity is carried out through the use of various types of documents created both in the library and outside it: catalogs, file cabinets, bibliographic indexes, existing both on paper and on electronic media. The information obtained in this way is used in the future as an auxiliary one for continuing the search for the necessary documents and as the main one for conducting a bibliographic examination.

In accordance with the communication function, the library provides the user not only with the document itself or information about it, but also with the information that is directly necessary for him. The implementation of this type of activity is associated with a higher level of library service. In this case, the library assumes the obligation to provide the user not with documents containing the information he needs, as is the case in most cases, but, based on the study and analysis of their content, the end result is information of interest to him. This work can be performed in the traditional mode, when the user receives the relevant information orally or in writing, or in electronic form, when the search in the information array is carried out using certain technical and software tools, and the user becomes the owner of the information he needs, often without even visiting libraries and not meeting with the librarian.

The library also performs a communication function when it organizes the process of communication directly between users, bypassing the process of creating documents. In this case, some users who are carriers of socially significant information also act as real or potential authors of documents.

This type of communication is carried out during various events (meetings, discussions, roundtables, conferences and others) with the participation of scientists, writers, poets, politicians and other owners of information of interest to library users. These events, as a rule, combine oral communication with the use of various types of documents. They are typical for libraries of different types, but the forms of their implementation are varied and specific. Thus, in public libraries, these events are more often associated with acquaintance with artistic literary works and other types of art, meetings with writers, directors, composers, discussion of topical social issues with politicians, economists, lawyers, organization of free time for users.

In special, for example, scientific and technical libraries, such events are characterized by a highly specialized focus and most often take place in the form of presentations, meetings, “round tables” and discussions with the participation of scientists and specialists of a certain profile, carriers of scientific and technological ideas. Thanks to this activity, libraries can significantly shorten the path for users to access new ideas, that is, bypass the document stage.

Thus, the library performs the communication function by providing the user with a document, information about it, information contained in it, organizing oral communication between users and real or potential authors of documents or carriers of socially significant information. The criterion for the effectiveness of the library's communication function should be considered the organization of the most complete and prompt access of users to the documents they need. The ideal implementation of this function is to instantly provide the user with an exhaustive list of all the documents he needs.

Cumulative Function of Libraries

To ensure communication between users and the documents they need, these documents must first be collected, which is the content of the cumulative function. Thanks to its implementation, the library collects in one place documents of different form and content, created at different times and at different points in space by different authors. For the implementation of this function, information about forthcoming and disseminated documents is of decisive importance, as well as the absence of various barriers, primarily political, for their free acquisition and the availability of the required resources from the library to replenish the collection. The ideal variant of the cumulative function should be considered as a collection in one place of all documents produced by mankind.

Memorial Libraries Function

However, in order to fulfill its mission, it is not enough for the library to collect documents at one point in space; it is also necessary to ensure their distribution in time, which is achieved through the performance of a memorial function. Its essence is to preserve the totality of the collected documents in order to pass them on to future generations. The main difficulty in performing this function is associated with natural and social upheavals: floods, fires, earthquakes, revolutions, wars, as a result of which a number of documents are destroyed, which sometimes even leads to a break in continuity between eras and generations.

The implementation of the memorial function allows us to consider the library as the memory of mankind. Its ideal fulfillment means “remembering” everything that has been created by mankind, i.e. eternal storage of all documents collected in the library.

Communication, cumulative and memorial functions are in a dialectical relationship.

If the cumulative and communication functions ensure the movement of documents in space, that is, their concentration at one point in space and then dispersal among different categories of users, then the memorial function determines their movement in time, from the present to the future.

All three of these functions arose simultaneously with the emergence of the library, and without the fulfillment of any one of them, it cannot exist as a social institution. At the same time, the simultaneous performance of essential functions leads to the emergence of objective contradictions in the activities of libraries. These contradictions are clearly manifested, for example, between the cumulative and memorial functions. As already noted, the essence of the cumulative function is to collect various types of documents at one point in space, that is, the more documents are collected in the library, the more successfully it performs its cumulative function. The essence of the memorial function is to ensure the safety of all collected documents for as long as possible, preferably forever. The easier it is to achieve preservation, the fewer documents in the library. The constant increase in the volume of library collections as a result of their cumulative function leads to a shortage of storage space.

These contradictions can be removed by reducing the volume of the fund or increasing the area of ​​storage facilities. Reducing the physical volume of the collection is achieved by reducing the number of documents in the library's repositories, or by reducing the volume of the documents themselves.

The traditional way, tested for centuries, of removing the contradictions under consideration is to increase the volume of storage facilities through the construction and lease of new buildings and premises. At the same time, this is an extensive way to solve the problem, since the increasing volume of documents requires more and more new premises, the acquisition and operation of which requires large financial costs.

A more effective and promising way is to reduce the volume of the documents themselves. The reduction in the number of documents is achieved by determining the optimal completeness of the collection of the library fund, clearly fixing the topics and types of documents to be acquired, their number, and storage periods. A significant reduction in volume is also achieved through coordination and cooperation in the field of collections with other libraries in the region or industry. Achieving the absolute completeness of the fund, that is, the ideal fulfillment by the library as a social institution of a cumulative function, is possible only through the coordinated actions of libraries around the world, when each of them, collecting its own, strictly defined part of the documents, thus forms a whole - the information resource of the world library.

In order to reduce the physical volume of collections, libraries have also always sought to minimize the volume of documents. This is served both by the creation of new types of thin and at the same time durable types of paper, and by reducing the type. The best example in this aspect can be books - babies. In the second half of the XX century. this direction was actively developed due to the creation of new compact types of documents, first microfilms and microfiche, and a little later - electronic ones. Libraries seek both to acquire these documents instead of or in parallel with paper ones, and to transfer documents from traditional to new, more compact media. For example, the RLST fund, which includes mainly patents, standards, descriptions of inventions and other materials, consists of 80% of microforms. Despite financial difficulties, the number of electronic media in the collections of major libraries has increased dramatically over the past decade, and the amount of information contained in them in some cases already exceeds that of paper media. The implementation of programs like VlMemory of the World is also aimed at removing this contradiction.

No less complex are the contradictions between the memorial and communication functions. A high degree of safety of documents is ensured not only by the necessary storage conditions (corresponding temperature, humidity, light conditions, etc.), but also by the degree of use of documents. For the ideal performance of the memorial function, the use of the fund, that is, the issuance of documents to users, should be completely stopped. Indeed, in the process of use, documents are subjected to additional loads, their storage regime is violated, in addition, the document may be damaged or even lost, which reduces the memorial function to zero. In accordance with the communication function, on the contrary, it is important to achieve the most frequent use of documents.

In order to eliminate this contradiction, large libraries, primarily national ones, form insurance funds that are not subject to active use. One widely used option is for public libraries to purchase large quantities of copies of documents in high demand. In a number of libraries, especially special ones, copying of documents is actively used for the purpose of subsequent issuance of copies, rather than originals. An important step towards solving this problem is the acquisition of modern electronic documents, since they are compact in storage, easily archived to create insurance copies, and the activity of their use practically does not affect the long-term storage.

The interaction between communication and cumulative functions is not without contradictions. As already noted, the essence of the cumulative function is the concentration of documents at one point in space, and their re-dispersion, that is, issuance, is highly undesirable, since at this time the document may be needed by other users. In the interests of fulfilling the communication function, documents should be as close as possible to the geographical area of ​​users who have the right to have the required number of documents on hand. The removal of this contradiction is carried out by creating an extensive network of libraries of various profiles, organizing both direct and indirect user access to information resources, formulating requirements for the conditions for using documents. To eliminate the contradiction, large collections are created, different in form and content of documents collected at one point in space, which users can access regardless of their location at the time of the information need. Such collections, as a rule, are located in national, regional, leading university libraries. Their services can be used by all residents both directly and indirectly. The services of libraries are usually resorted to directly by users who are geographically closest to their location. The rest use them at a distance with the help of the IBA, bibliographic aids published by the library, including printed catalogs, bibliographic indexes, lists of new acquisitions, abstracts, reviews and other publications that reveal both the library fund and the information flow by a certain parameter.

In addition, in order to remove the contradiction between the communication and cumulative functions of the library, they strive to bring the collections of documents as close as possible to the place of residence, work and leisure of readers. Library funds are formed in accordance with the information needs of potential users - residents of a certain locality or part of it, employees of an enterprise or organization, teachers and students of certain educational institutions, etc. The funds include several copies of one document title, which makes it possible to use one and the same document to many users at the same time. Libraries acquire modern electronic documents, which, if certain technical means are available, can be used by several visitors at the same time. This creates favorable conditions for communication between the user and the document.

In order to eliminate contradictions between the cumulative and memorial functions in each state, a network of libraries is being formed that meets the needs and capabilities of society.

Summing up what has been said, we note that the essential functions of libraries - communication, cumulative, memorial - cannot be subject to transformation, they are stable, even a change in the socio-economic formation cannot affect them. Remaining unchanged, they only deepen their content, improve under the influence of the changes taking place in society.

The essential functions are inherent in libraries of all types and types, however, they are implemented in different ways, which is manifested in the completeness of the collection, the terms of storage of documents, the circle of users and the conditions for their service. Thus, national libraries strive to form the fund of national documents with the greatest completeness and ensure their long-term storage. Much less attention is paid to the direct service of users in the mode of issuing documents for temporary use than to the creation of a national bibliography, databases and data banks, and remote service. Small public libraries, on the other hand, focus on direct user service. Libraries of educational institutions in many countries, forming their funds, do not seek to acquire a wide range of various documents, but, on the contrary, are limited to a narrow range of educational publications, but acquire them in large quantities. After the loss of relevance for the purposes of the educational process, these manuals are excluded from the fund and replaced by others.

The organization of the work of libraries, taking into account their specifics and features of essential functions, as well as ways to remove the contradictions that objectively arise between them, makes it possible to achieve a balance between their implementation, to avoid conflict situations. Understanding the objective nature of the contradictions that arise between the essential functions of libraries, and knowing how to minimize their negative consequences will contribute to the creation of a balanced system that takes into account the peculiarities of all these functions, the formation of an optimal unified network of libraries in the country.

Derived social functions

As noted above, the essential functions are concretized in a large number of derivatives, due to specific socio-political and economic conditions, the current tasks that society sets for libraries. The list of derived social functions of libraries is not precisely defined. Most often, among them, experts name the following functions: to help education, self-education, upbringing, development of science and production, educational, hedonistic, ideological, cultural and educational, compensatory, medical, scientific and industrial, educational, pedagogical, cognitive, educational, recreational, educational.

Based on the main activities of modern libraries, in the process of implementing essential functions, in our opinion, the following main derived social functions can be distinguished:

Ø promoting education and upbringing,

Ø information support of scientific and production activities, the library is a social function of self-education

Ø sociocultural.

Each of them can act as dominant over the others in a particular library.

The most studied is the group of functions that can conditionally be called pedagogical. Among them, the most frequently mentioned are educational, upbringing, training, enlightenment, to help education and self-education, and others.

The direction of activity related to self-education has been further developed in mass libraries and now consists in providing users with documents that contribute to the further development of their general educational and professional knowledge. This manifestation of the educational function of libraries is largely related to leisure activities, which are aimed at promoting the development of individual inclinations of users not related to their profession (learning foreign languages, technical modeling and design, cooking, cutting and sewing, gardening, gardening, etc.). d.).

The educational function is implemented by forming a fund of necessary documents and making them available to students and teachers, through various mass events aimed at achieving educational and educational goals.

A number of specialists devoted their work to studying the functions of libraries of this group. So, A. Ya. Aizenberg considers the educational and educational functions, along with the production and auxiliary functions, to be among the main social ones. He sees the meaning of the educational function in the fact that Vllibraries, contributing to various types of education of readers, contribute to raising their cultural level, spiritual enrichment of a person, educating a scientific worldview, and strengthening cognitive interest. A. N. Khropach believes that the educational function lies in the complex educational impact on subscribers.

N. E. Dobrynina among the main functions includes educational, the essence of which is the dissemination of knowledge. According to N. Dobrynina, the object of the educational activity of the library is the most diverse categories of readers, and in the center is a person with her free, and in no way limited interests. In her opinion, it is impossible to equate the educational and educational functions, because the second implies the formation of a personality of a certain type, the instillation of certain ideas, the inculcation of the qualities necessary, from the point of view of the educator, "and is associated with the concept of Vlmanagement, which has discredited itself in our country. readingB.

Studying the interaction of library science with pedagogy, V. I. Tereshin repeatedly spoke out for the need to form library pedagogy as a scientific and practical discipline. In his opinion, the library is a pedagogical system, and therefore the pedagogical function is one of the fundamental for libraries. The library, leading readers to the world of information (and information always acts as knowledge), to the heights of culture, to the socialization of the individual, performs a pedagogical function that covers almost all of its activities. The understanding of the pedagogical function of libraries as an introduction to children and adults was formed in Soviet library science into the theory of guidance in reading.

The essence of the activity of a modern library, with rare exceptions, is not in the direct implementation of the process of education and upbringing, but in promoting it as an auxiliary structure. Therefore, this function, in our opinion, is more appropriate to call the function of promoting education and upbringing. It is inherent in libraries of different types and types, however, they are implemented taking into account their own goals and objectives.

The next most frequently referred to by specialists is the function of promoting the development of science and industry. In the specialized literature, it is sometimes also referred to as follows: scientific and information, scientific and industrial, industrial, information support for science and production, ensuring scientific and technical progress, to help scientific and technological progress, to help professional and scientific work, production and auxiliary.

The task of promoting the development of science and individual industries was set before Soviet libraries in the period of industrialization and extended to libraries of all types. The meaning of this direction lies in the information support of scientific research, as well as various types of activities for the production of industrial goods, agricultural products, various services using documents containing the information necessary for this. Libraries do not directly carry out the production of any goods or services (except for the library itself), so this function should be called the function of information support for scientific and production activities. Libraries implement it by forming funds of documents that correspond to the goals and objectives of a particular type of activity, and making them available to certain categories of readers. This function is typical for all special scientific and technical libraries, the funds of which are usually very narrowly specialized, taking into account the needs of the field of activity of the enterprise and organization, of which they are structural divisions. University libraries perform this function by promoting the development of science, self-education and advanced training of certain categories of users.

For public libraries, it is less typical and is implemented along with others. Libraries of this type are currently carrying out this function by promoting the development of small and medium-sized businesses, the activities of small enterprises and organizations for which it is inappropriate to maintain their own libraries.

Often, including in official documents, the library is called a cultural institution, and among its main functions are cultural, cultural-educational, leisure, recreational and others. Since the library is a part of human culture and at the same time is one of the most important factors in its development, distribution, renewal and increment of cultural heritage, this function can be defined as a socio-cultural one. V. V. Skvortsov compares the library with a two-way street: Vl..in one direction, through the efforts of librarians, information about the existing achievements of culture comes to readers, and in the other direction, information about its newly created values ​​\u200b\u200bis moving. However, it should be noted that this movement is based on the fulfillment by the library of essential functions that ensure the collection, storage and distribution of documents containing information about the achievements of the culture of different peoples.

In this context, culture is understood in a narrow sense as a branch of activity for the creation and use of certain values, the implementation of this function by the library is carried out in two directions. The first of these is to provide the development of culture with the necessary documents and is typical for public and certain types of special libraries. Libraries of educational institutions, research and production

Watching along with it.