The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into publication practices from the perspective of academics working within four disciplinary communities: biosciences, astronomy/physics, education and history. The paper explores the ways in which these multiple overlapping communities intersect with the journal landscape and the implications for the adoption and use of new players in the scholarly communication system, particularly open-access mega-journals (OAMJs). OAMJs (e.g. PLOS ONE and Scientific Reports) are large, broad scope, open-access journals that base editorial decisions solely on the technical/scientific soundness of the article. Design/methodology/approach: focus groups with active researchers in these fields were held in five UK Higher Education Institutions across Great Britain, and were complemented by interviews with pro-vice-chancellors for research at each institution.  Findings: а strong finding to emerge from the data is the notion of researchers belonging to multiple overlapping communities, with some inherent tensions in meeting the requirements for these different audiences. Researcher perceptions of evaluation mechanisms were found to play a major role in attitudes towards OAMJs, and interviews with the pro-vice-chancellors for research indicate that there is a difference between researchers’ perceptions and the values embedded in institutional frameworks.  Originality/value: This is the first purely qualitative study relating to researcher perspectives on OAMJs. The findings of the paper will be of interest to publishers, policy-makers, research managers and academics.  

The article «Applying Google Trends to study the German legal deposit copy system» discusses the use of web tools to investigate current library science problems. Using web-based statistical method the author searches the following issues:  the dynamics of interest in the subject of a legal deposit copy from the date of adoption of the Law on the German National Library (2006) to nowadays;  relations of the public interest peak changes in this topic to certain phenomena in the social and cultural life of Germany;  the federal dimension of these issues when comparing interest to the topic in different regions of Germany;  the public opinion on the popularity of legal copy among traditional and electronic sources.   The article is divided into four parts. The first one sets the work objective and main tasks, gives a general description of the chosen research method. The second part deals with the process of creating a semantic dictionary; analyzes traditional and electronic sources of synonymic dictionaries. It describes the strengths of such an online language matching service as semager.de. The third part dissects a group of keywords related to the topic of a legal deposit copy along with the most interesting and problematic, from the point of the author’s view, additional keywords such as the German National Library, network publications, and disserta­tions. Using web statistical tools the paper shows that the most intense issues regarding the legal deposit, the problems of the German National Library and online publications were raised in the lands of West Germany. Developing the legal deposit copy system will go, first of all, through online publications, greater cooperation with academic and scholar libraries; open access of scientific data and publications related to dissertations and theses of West German lands’ universities. The fourth part presents main conclusions and substantiates the method significance for library and sociological research.  

The article is devoted to the problem of transition in Ancient Greece from oral culture to written one. Most foreign and domestic researchers associate the duration and instability of this transition with 1) peculiarities of organizing the political power, 2) the anthropomorphic specifics of Greek culture. The author proposes to analyze applying oral and written communications in the key works of such ancient Greek writers as Homer (Iliad, Odyssey), Hesiod (Theogony), Aeschylus (Petitioner), Aristophanes (Birds), as well as philosophical works of Plato (Fedr).  It is established that the Ancient Greek authors, despite the possession of writing, guided in their works on oral communication and such forms of confidence in oral communication as personal testimony, religious oath, reinforcing all this belief in a possible religious punishment. As a result, the Ancient Greek authors either ignore or portray as secondary written communication in the absence of specially created institutional forms of trust. The author proposes an original hypothesis, in the context of which he explains this phenomenon by the inability of institutional forms of confidence created for oral communications to perform its function in the transition to written communications and «slows down» the transition process. The author’s hypothesis is based on the theory of documentary information, in which context the final transition to written communi­cations was completed only after the creation of institutional forms of confidencein written communications in the form of archives and libraries.  

The review examines modern library activity taking into account the influence of external technological and social environment, changes in scientific communications, education, modernization of data man­agement systems, etc. The author identifies trends in developing scientific (academic) and public libraries to a greater degree. The material is structured in blocks and presented in two parts (the first one was published in «Bibliosphere», 2018, № 4). This review includes the following sections: 1) user preferences and new library services (information literacy development programs, research data management, web archiving, etc.), 2) libraries as centers of intellectual leisure, communication platforms, places for training, co-working, renting equipment, creativity, work, scientific experiments and recreation, 3) «smart buildings» and «smart libraries», 4) optimism of the future. To prepare the review, an information search was carried on the world's largest databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, etc.), which identified over 500 sources on the topic discussing trends and future development of libraries. All materials were classified according to sections, library types, advanced tech­nologies. The author collects and considers cases of information technology, research and articles related to their introduction for new services creation emphasized those that may affect the library in the future; studies the latest information technologies should be applied to the next generation library. Publications analysis show that academic and public libraries strive to serve readers using modern information tech­nologies, create spatial environments for creativity and intellectual leisure, provide comfortable conditions of servicing, enhance skills of librarians in accordance with changing user preferences. It creates prereq­uisites for an optimistic vision of the library future not only as repositories of information, but as centers of intellectual leisure, communication platforms, places for learning, co-working, creativity and inspiration.  

The functional role of books (scientific, artistic, philosophical, religious and moralistic) in the public prac­tice of the German Enlightenment is comparable to the significance of such major national concepts as the Lutheran faith and a special German character. The idea of aesthetic education in contemporary historical circumstances and socio-political circumstances actually became the ideology of national self-determina­tion. The book, its semantic «images» as literary reading images enshrined in famous works of German clas­sics, helps better revealing the spiritual content of the era and the human inner world (in typical «hero of time»). Educational book (serious and entertaining) defines the vector of social development in Germany.  German book in its «materiality» belongs to the everyday life culture, reflects the level of development of the book business in Germany and the specificity of the «culture of consumption». Everyday life culture is a holistic «life world» shared «values» and «meanings» perceived as a world attitudes and behavioral habits and regarded as a natural space of human activity. Such an approach makes it possible to study the typical, recurring forms of «cultural practices», before remaining on the periphery of classical humanities. «Reading» could be attributed to this range of socio-cultural practices. Philosophical basis of the study is the following: everything that a thing opens our perception is simply «a scheme of sensation» changing in accordance with «angles», in which we perceive them; what the thing is in its materiality can be revealed only through our final experiences. A material thing and its «causality» base in sensory perception of a subject. This series of «material things» should include «the book in general» and specifically German book as an attribute of everyday life culture of the Enlightenment. The author investigates representations of meanings of «books» (ash an abstracted subject of study) realized in the «chronotope» of a literary work. The structure of «reading image» and «book image» identified during the texts analysis of famous masterpieces of German classics have a moral connotation.  

The article represents main stages of studying of David Zamaray’s Azbukovnik (alphabet book). It estimates newly discovered copies of this book monument. The paper lists for the first time recently established sources of Azbukovnik vocabulary entries. To compare lexical data borrowings from Meletius Smotrytsky’s Slavonic Grammar (Evie, 1619) in David Zamaray’s Azbukovnik the author involves copies of its three different reduc­tions. The study reveals that it is difficult to define primacy of creation of David Zamaray’s Azbukovnik reduc­tions due to lack of clearness about the date of lexical borrowings from printed books for its vocabulary entries. The known Azbukovnik copies at the moment cannot give a definite answer about the time of its creation.  

The research centers upon the bibliographical study of the history (1991–2017) and prehistory (1957–1990) of M. M. Prishvin’s «Diaries» (1905–1954) publication recognized as the longest (18 volumes) diaries in Russian literature.  In modern science Prishvin’s «Diaries» are studied in a number of aspects: as a historical and cultural chron­icle of the country in 1905–1954; the writer’s self-consciousness and creative laboratory; a fiction text in the system of its motives, literary and philosophical contexts, as well as from the point of view of its publishing fate which is narrowly understood as a fragmentary history of its publication.  The paper novelty is due to, first, reconstruction of the history and prehistory of the «Diaries» publication, and second, the system analysis of the publication history in connection with the changing economic models of publishing business, types of publishing houses, their repertoire, strategies, and features of the editorial work during the publication of the collected works. Moreover, the author distinguishes three types of ego-texts in Prishvin’s works (sketch books, diary, and diary books) and, accordingly, different publication strategies.  The study reveals that within the prehistory of the «Diaries» publication there were two main approaches to their publishing: first, they were published in shortened versions (1986); second, in fragmentary versions based on the thematic or chronological principle, most often in a journal variant.  Prishvin’s «Diaries» are considered in the context of the writer’s whole collected works: the pre-Soviet («Znanie Publishing House», 1912–1914) and the Soviet («Gosizdat», 1927–1930, 1929–1931; «Goslitizdat», 1935–1939; «Khudozhestvennaya literature», 1982–1986) periods.  The history of Prishvin’s «Diaries» publication in the post-Soviet period is described as a collective book project carried out by the efforts of five state and non-state publishing houses: «Moskovskii Rabochii» (1991–1995), «Russkaya kniga» (1999–2004), «ROSSPEN» (2012); «Novyi Khronograf» (2013–2014); and «Rostok» (2006–2017). The author demonstrates the «Diaries» connection with the repertoire and strategies of these publishers.  After the reconstruction of the history and prehistory of Prishvin’s «Diaries» publication from the initial fragments to full print and electronic versions, the author convincingly proves that this long-term collective book project belongs to the local history of the Russian publishing industry in the XX–XXI centuries.  

Article is devoted by the 30th anniversary from the day of bonfire in the Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Based on V. M. Montvilov's book, the author attempts to open his contribution to liquidate the bonfire consequences in the Academy of Sciences’ Library. Montvilov played a great role in organizing negotiations with leading libraries and rendering international aid. His work as a UNESCO official was connected with preservation of such cultural objects of Russia as the Bolshoi Theatre, Russian State Library, the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Library. In the book «International official …», the author opened the specific character of UNESCO and emphasized a special role of this organization in the cultural heritage development of preservation. The book reflected his recollections and first impression about the Academy of Sciences’ Library and revealed new facts of elimination of the bonfire consequences. Montvilov's book is of great interest to the reader due to a wide range of problems posed in it and great factual material.  

Currently, youth libraries need radical modernization in the context of global cyberspace and social networks. Taking the challenge of nowadays, rebuilding their age-old traditions, libraries forced to change the format and saturate their space with new meanings.  Studying the organization of modern library services for young people is based on the Information-Library Center for youth of Tyumen city. Evidentlu for it the authors elaborate recommendations to improve servicing young people in the information-library center for youth of Tyumen.  The research theoretical and practical significance is determined by the need for an urgent study of youth activities of library institutions to create a positive experience with this category of users.  To identify the young people attitude to the activity of the Information-Library Center for youth in Tyumen, the authors monitored public opinion with a sociological survey (questionnaire). The survey has revealed: what users want to get from visits; what forms of work they like, and what would they like; what is the comfort of working in the library.  The analysis of the obtained data allowed authors to conclude:  1. Young people are interested in getting comprehensive information on the topics of their interest.  2. Modern technical equipment and the availability of designed work and leisure sites are important com­ponents of the library space.  3. The most attractive leisure activities in the Centre include creative meetings, musical or literary events.  4. Respondents attributed the problem of professional growth of specialists, underdeveloped forms of intellectual leisure and types of information support as shortcomings of the Information-Library Center for young people, which are worth paying attention.  5.The most popular sources of information about the Center activities are social networks.  6. Users rated the Center work as 9.4 points in 10-point scale.  The authors have developed measures to improve the quality of library services for young people, increase the interest and activity of this social group in the work of the Information-Library Center for young people. They are:  1. Actualizing the library collection in accordance with youth preferences;  2. Developing advanced forms of book borrow;  3. Organizing the Center library space comfortable for young people;  4. Involving young specialists in library activity;  5. Expanding the library’s social partnership with youth associations.  

The article is devoted to the analysis of the legal basis of standardizing a student’s scientific research presentation in the form of a final qualifying work. There are differences in the federal regulatory frame­work and standardization current practice in this area; insufficiency of norm-definitions in the designated sphere; contradictions between the federal level of regulation and local acts of organizations that do not contain the necessary regulatory content. The author analyzes forms of the organization standards legit­imization in the field of a qualifying work registration. The article clarifies gaps in the standardization control of students’ research by the analysis of the federal standard positions in the bibliography field and an organization standard (higher education institution). The author formulates recommendations on the content of the organization’s standards dictated by the dispositive nature of the state standard norms.  

The topic relevance is increasing due to the children number rise of homeless, dysfunctional, incomplete, low-income, left without parental care, from families using destructive methods, bringing to congenital disorders of the physical and psychological development, who could falling into unfavorable environment take the path of asocial behavior, disharmonious development and, as a result, getting into the «risk groups».  The article objective is to determine the library involvement in preventing the children at risk neglect through multiformat forms of the work popularizing books and reading for the educational and cultural development of children.  N. V. Stetsenko describes children at risk groups as exposed to biological, psychological, social influences, their tendency to offenses, violence and other types of antisocial behavior. Сhildren at risk include the following categories: gifted children; poorly educated; children with disabilities; children from problem and dysfunc­tional, asocial families; pedagogically neglected children; children from families in need of socio-economic and socio-psychological assistance and support.  Currently, the work of a librarian with children at risk is an urgent problem related to growth of families and minors of the «special attention group», where the library task is to reach the maximum number of children attracted to the library. Difficult children is a complicated category; therefore, library and information workers need to know the characteristics of such children, effective methods and methods of educational and preven­tive work. Сhildren at risk need to adapt to the world around them, broaden their horizons, communicate with their peers, organize leisure activities, express themselves creatively, receive information and services, and satisfy their intellectual needs. The library has the staff, resources and means capable to form a harmoniously developed child personality , including children at risk.  The library is designed to create for readers not only comfortable (it's important), but productive conditions with the point of intellectual growth, for example, the reader’s participation in organizing library activities (storytelling, makerspace, creative workshops, etc.). The modern library helps to reduce the number of «disadvantaged children», heals the social environment, makes it more friendly and safe for a child.  

One of the most widespread publications of a university is «Vestnik» (Bulletin), which reflects not only scientific and professional interests of the university in a certain subject field, but scientific and professional interests of the scientific community within its territory and abroad. The journal testifies to the branch science development in general, contributes to formation of socio-economic and scientific environment of a certain region, and the country as a whole.  The article deals with the journal «Bulletin of Kemerovo State University of Culture and Arts» («Vestnik of KemGUKI») as an information resource of the branch university. The author studies main charac­teristics of the publication in the Russian Science Citation Index; concludes that the journal quality indicators (its index and place the Science Index rating, two-year and five-year impact factor) are con­stantly growing, that indicates promoting the publication in the professional community information environment. The paper highlights the bibliometric analysis results for 5 years (2013–2017) investigating publications (segments of document flow, micro-flows) grouped by features of content, species and author's structure.  The journal reflects a wide range of humanitarian knowledge. The authors of «Vestnik KemGUKI» are highly qualified teachers, their scientific and educational activities develop the branch science and pro­fessional education and form the University positive image. «Vestnik» is a platform to present and test dissertators’ re-searches. The document flow analysis on the authors’ affiliations allowed identifying teams that work in line with the interests of KemGUCA. Among them are not only universities of culture and other humanitarian educational institutions, but organizations not related to educational activities.  Studying the authors’ regional affiliation, the paper reflects the geographical landscape wideness. The authors are not only from Kemerovo, as well as from a large number of regional centers, cities and republics. Thanks to scientists and teachers of the neighboring countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) the range of authors is constantly expanding. The study reveals coincidence of scholar interests with the scientific educational community of foreign countries (Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, China, India). It shows that «Vestnik» is recognized in the professional environment of the humanitarian community as a resource promoting education, science and culture in Kuzbass, Siberia, Russia, and the near and far abroad.  

The article reviews the activities of the Center for Technology and Innovation Support (CTIS) set up within V. Ya. Shishkov Altay Regional Universal Scientific Library aimed at organizing and holding events that contribute to the patent-information support system formation and progress for the regional innovative development. The author emphases work features and priorities of the library-based CTIS, formulates some proposals for their further development.  

The article thoroughly analyzes the use of WeChat public service platform in libraries and puts forward strategic ways for the development of users service by optimizing the orientation on individualized, open and interactive, specialized and integrated users service on definite subjects (SUS), and analyzes its opti­mization strategies connected with relationship, vitality and the quality. According to the analysis results, the author concludes that the optimization of SUS in mobile Internet environment should be based on the optimized service model of mobile service terminal platform, so as to realize the deepening of the function of SUS and the diversification of service forms.