To Close is Impossible to Leave it: Where Should be Put a Comma?

The article is a response to the article by V. K. Stepanov “A great reduction in quantity of libraries: particular management errors or a general perspective for the field (analysis of the experience of the Moscow region)”, published in the previous issue of Bibliosphere. Three main theoretical and methodological contradictions that reduce the reliability of the results obtained by the author and the validity of the recommendations proposed by him for regional librarianship are identified and analyzed.

The first of them concerns the departure from the principle of historicism, as well as the complexity of the consideration of the phenomenon under study, and as a result the social nature of librarianship is presented incorrectly by the author of the article. It is noted that the basic social function determining the vector of domestic library construction was the function of educating a Soviet person, his ideological, cultural, scientific and technical enlightenment through the guidance of book reading in a specially selected library fund. Intermediary functions were associated with the shortcomings of book publishing in the field of leisure literature and played a secondary role. Thus, automation and computerization of book publishing and bookselling affect librarianship only indirectly, since the material nature of book publishing does not affect the cultural and educational functions of libraries.

The second contradiction is related to the correctness of the analysis and interpretation of statistical data reflecting the process of library development in the Moscow region. The analysis of statistics shows that the negative dynamics in regional library construction is caused by the process of reduction of settlements, its natural decline and aging of the population. The increase in the number of users of municipal libraries indicates that the reduction in the number of libraries does not lead to a decrease in the level of library services of the population.

The third contradiction concerns following the principle of scientific objectivity of research. The author noted only negative trends, leaving regional library construction programs aimed at the development of model libraries outside the scope of his analysis.

1. Добрынина Н., Матлина С. Нет плохих читателей, есть формы работы, которые давно устарели // Библиотекарь. 1990. № 7. С. 9–12 [Dobrynina N and Matlina S (1990) There are no bad readers, there are forms of work that have long been outdated. Bibliotekar’ 7: 9–12. (In Russ.)].

2. Книжный рынок России. Состояние, тенденции и перспективы развития : отраслевой докл. / под общ. ред. В. В. Григорьева. Москва, 2022. 91 с. [Grigor'ev VV (ed.) (2022) The Russian book market. Status, trends and prospects of development: industry rep. Moscow. (In Russ.)].

3. КПСС, 24 съезд. Стенографический отчет. 30 марта – 9 апреля 1971 г. В 2-х т. Т. 1. Москва : Политиздат, 1971. 598 с. [(1971) CPSU, 24th congress. Verbatim report. March 30 – April 9, 1971. In 2 vols. Vol. 1. Moscow: Politizdat. (In Russ.)].

4. Население России в XX веке. В 3-х т. Т. 1. Москва : РОССПЭН, 2000. 463 с. [(2000) The population of Russia in the XX century. In 3 vols. Vol. 1. Moscow: ROSSPEN. (In Russ.)].

5. Плешкевич Е. А. Библиотека как «третье место»: краткое пояснение // Библиосфера. 2019а. № 3. С. 99–100 [Pleshkevich EA (2019) Library as "third place": a brief refinement. Bibliosfera 3: 99–100. (In Russ.)].

6. Плешкевич Е. А. Государственно ориентированная советская модель библиотечного обеспечения коммуникации науки и общества // Библиосфера. 2023. № 1. С. 7–13 [Pleshkevich EA (2023) The state-oriented Soviet model of library support for communication between science and society. Bibliosfera 1: 7–13. (In Russ.)].

7. Плешкевич Е. А. О методологии моделирования развития отечественного библиотечного дела // Научно-техническая информация. Серия 1, Организация и методика информационной работы. 2020. № 9. С. 1–7 [Pleshkevich EA (2020) On the methodology of modeling the development of domestic librarianship. Nauchno-tekhnicheskaya informatsiya. Seriya 1, Organizatsiya i metodika informatsionnoi raboty 9: 1–7. (In Russ.)].

8. Плешкевич Е. А. Спасут ли отечественную библиотеку станки для лазерной резки металла? // Научные и технические библиотеки. 2019б. № 8. С. 90–98 [Pleshkevich EA (2019) Will the laser cutting machines save Russian libraries? Nauchnye i tekhnicheskie biblioteki 8: 90–98. (In Russ.)].

9. Последний писк столичный моды: о книгах и не только // Книжная индустрия. 2023. № 1. C. 35–39 [(2023) The latest squeak of the capital's fashion: about books and not only. Book industry 1: 35–39. (In Russ.)].

10. Степанов В. К. Библиотеки в безбумажном мире: обременение для бюджета или центры преобразования общества // Взаимовлияние информационно-библиотечной среды и общественных наук : сб. материалов науч. семинара. Москва, 2023а. Вып. 6. С. 89–98 [Stepanov VK (2023) Libraries in a paperless world: a burden on the budget or centers for the transformation of society. Vzaimovliyanie informatsionno-bibliotechnoi sredy i obshchestvennykh nauk: sb. materialov nauch. seminara. Moscow, iss. 6, pp. 89–98. (In Russ.)].

11. Степанов В. К. Обвальное сокращение числа библиотек: частные ошибки управления или всеобщая перспектива отрасли (анализ опыта Подмосковья) // Библиосфера. 2023б. № 2. [Stepanov VK. (2023) A great reduction in quantity of libraries: particular management errors or a general perspective for the field (analysis of the experience of the Moscow region). Bibliosfera 2. (In Russ.)].

12. Цукерман Г. А., Ковалева Г. С., Баранова В. Ю. Читательские умения российских четвероклассников: уроки PIRLS – 2016 // Вопросы образования. 2018. № 1. С. 55–78 [Zuckerman GA, Kovaleva GS and Baranova VYu (2018) Reading skills of Russian fourth graders: PIRLS lessons – 2016. Voprosy obrazovaniya 1: 55–78. (In Russ.)].