Readers’ Views on the Possibilities of Science Communication through Libraries: Re-survey

One of the most important functions of the library remains the dissemination of new knowledge. Currently, public policy focuses on the development of a scientific worldview among all citizens of Russia, so the topic of developing communication between science and society has recently become very popular among sociologists, philosophers, cultural scientists, economists, library scientists, etc. The purpose of the work is to study the opinion of readers of public libraries of a large city (using Novosibirsk as an example) on the possibility of disseminating scientific knowledge through libraries and to conduct a comparative analysis of the 2022 and 2025 survey data. A survey of readers was conducted based on the same questions. Comparison of the results to identify the trend in readers’ opinions on the possibilities of communication between science and society through libraries showed that readers maintain a high interest in science. The Internet remains the primary source of new information, followed by libraries, but their importance has declined. The audience has began to read popular science literature more and to attend popular science mass events a little more. But if earlier readers preferred exhibitions and excursions, now they prefer lectures. The opinion on the question of who should make decisions on the regulation of domestic science has not changed. These are the scientists themselves, whom readers trust. The answer to the main question – can a library provide access to modern scientific knowledge – has not changed, and even more people answered “yes” to this question, while the number of those who answered “no” has decreased. The authors come to the general conclusion that the trend remains: library remains a popular place for obtaining and preserving scientific knowledge for a certain segment of society united by common interests and behavioral practices.

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