Dynamics of the library system in Tambov region (1930s - early 1940s)

Abstract

Significant changes in the library network development of Tambov region have occurred as a result of reforming the administrative-territorial division. The counties and townships abolition has led to a change of the libraries typology. The Central Provincial Library was first transformed into the Central District Library (before 1934), then - into the Central Municipal one (until 1937), and, finally, to the Regional one (in 1937). A specific feature of the period under review was opening a central library in each district (with a network of mobile libraries), as well as the organizing stationary libraries at enterprises and large state- and collective-farms. Urban population was mostly served by a network of trade union libraries, rural inhabitants - by a library network of the People's Commissariat of Education. In 1940 the number of public libraries in Tambov region reached 552, including 453 ones in the countryside. The network of public (mass) libraries included the following libraries: state district ones - 42, state municipal ones - 4, state rural ones - 102, state children ones - 7, village state public library and reading rooms - 158, public libraries at the regional culture houses and other club facilities - 12, collective-farm ones - 56, trade union ones - 131, public libraries of other agencies and organizations - 27. Strengthening ideological pressure on library services resulted in the tightening of censorship, mass withdrawal of the ideologically harmful literature. Collections of seized books marked «do not give masses» were created in the libraries as special funds. New editions entered the region in a limited number. In general, in the 1930s the book composition in the library stocks of Tambov region is characterized by the following data by branches of knowledge: anti-religious literature was 2,2%, social studies - 19,5%, natural science - 4,6%, applied sciences - 6,2%, agriculture - 5,1%, history and geography - 6,5%, fiction - 28,7%, others - 27,2%. The total library fund had not enough fiction and books on natural history, book sections on technology and agriculture needed accession. By the beginning of 1941 the amount of the public libraries fund in Tambov region was totaled 843,948 copies. To improve significantly the level of library service the nation-wide measures have been taken, among them were the following: Library Campaign, All-Union Library Census, All-Union competition for the best area on performing the librarianship in the countryside. They were aimed at drawing public attention to the serious problems existed in the librarianship. However, the Library Campaign was not properly developed in Tambov region. Scanty funding, general unpreparedness, inadequate qualifications of librarians and other factors affected negatively to achieve this goal.