The article presents the scientometric analysis of the journal Bibliosphere (founder – SPSTL SB RAS) for 15 years of its existence – from the first issue publication in 2005 to the end of 2019. The purpose of the article is to track changes in the quantitative bibliometric indicators of the journal in conjunction with both of the editorial policy and in the context of the journal’s mission – to increase the level of scientific research in the field of library and information science, book science, and bibliography and their integration into the world scientific space, to identify problematic issues and outline ways to solve them. The results of the analysis show that the recognition of the results of the research presented in the journal is gradually growing, however, this growth and the degree of integration of research into the international context is uneven. The most competitive are studies in the fields of library and information science, while the results in the field of book science often turn out to be unnoticed by colleagues not only abroad, but also in Russia.

The academic library profession is being redefined by the shifting research and scholarly landscape, the transformation in higher education, and advances in technology.

A survey of librarians working in Canada’s research-intensive universities was conducted to explore new and emerging roles. This study focuses on librarians’ activities in: Research Support, Teaching and Learning, Digital Scholarship, User Experience, and Scholarly Communication. It addresses the scope and nature of the new roles, the skills required to provide new services, and the confidence librarians have in their abilities to perform the new roles. It also reports on librarians’ job satisfaction and their perceived impact on the academic enterprise.

The article generalizes and systematizes exhibition, educational and project activities of The Russian State Library of Arts (RSLA) in terms of measures related to self-isolation under the threat of coronavirus infection ­(COVID-19) spreading. The necessary and sufficient conditions for effective work in remote mode are considered. Emphasis is made on the organization of work on projects. The conclusion is made on the strategic importance of teamwork, network interaction of employees, and operational coordination of work. It is noted that the library managed to significantly expand its Internet resources. This was reflected in the development and presentation of virtual exhibitions, thematic online lectures and publications, video reviews, virtual excursions, meetings on the Zoom platform, in the reorganization and adaptation of planned events to new conditions.

The important organizational steps were: mastering the necessary software products, including video editing, and psychological and pedagogical skills to retain the audience; understanding the need to discuss virtual expositions in working groups and exhibition councils.

All this made it possible not only to preserve the old audience, but also to attract a new one for RSLA.

A conclusion is also made for the future: when planning events and publications in the web space, it is very important to balance the issues of lectures, reviews, video meetings, modern and retrospective topics, archival recordings and new publications.

Digitalization of all spheres of society has brought significant changes in the practices and forms of reading in the XXI century. Along with the traditional (analog, reading from a paper), a new format of reading has appeared and widespread – digital format (computer, electronic, from screen). It changes the nature of the reader's interaction with the text, has potential opportunities (social reading) and risks (digital inequality). In this regard, the role of libraries (as well as cultural and educational institutions) in enculturation society to the new digital literacy and elimination of negative consequences of digital inequality is increasing.

The purpose of the article is to study the specifics of the development of reading in the modern world, to ground characteristic features of reading from the paper and the screen. For this purpose, various points of view of scientists on the originality of reading activities in various formats, the effectiveness of perception of a printed and an electronic text are given; the results of research projects conducted in many countries of the world to identify the characteristics, opportunities, risks and prospects for the development of traditional and digital reading are analyzed and summarized.

It is concluded that  there have emerged and continue to evolve screen reading practices. Reading in the digital environment as a new way of contacts via electronic texts dynamically changes the communication environment, speeding up and simplifying consumer access to information, has many opportunities and advantages, and transforms reading skills and habits of society. Moreover, at a new technological stage of development, it revives social reading, intensifies digital inequality, leading to a secondary mental-­cognitive digital gap, and modifies personal reading experience of contemporaries.

 

Many Russian, Soviet and foreign Russian-­language publications since 1882 were called “Pravda”. Some of them (the newspaper, the printing house and the publishing house) had a similar name in Yiddish containing Hebraism – “Der Emes”. The main problem of the research is to identify interaction points of these organizations. The purpose of this study isto find out how these print media relate to each other. The author considers their history on the basis of archival documents and memoirs of employees of these institutions. The analysis of publishing production was carried out on materials of the bulletin of the Russian Book Chamber and collections of Jewish publications found in two main libraries of Russia. The author has identified several printing houses with the same name of different subordination, working with printed products in Yiddish and Russian. The author came to the conclusion that the newspaper editorial board, the Printing house and the Publishing house “Der Emes” were in close cooperation.

The main theme of 2020 for libraries around the world is organizing the work under the constraints associated with COVID-19, which was confirmed by the results of information searches for articles in the world’s largest databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, etc.), which discuss actual problems of libraries’ activity during this period. Their solution is achieved by developing common approaches to challenges at the global level, sharing best practices and methods of working in a pandemic. The purpose of the article is to present the key reports presented in the cycle of online meetings entitled “Life of the world’s libraries during a pandemic”, organized by the State Public Scientific and Technological Library of the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Science (SPSTL SB RAS). The article presents the experience of foreign and Russian libraries: Bibliothèque universitaire des langues et civilisations (France), the Libraries of New York University and Harvard Universities (USA), University of Tartu Library (Estonia), the National Library of the Republic of Turkey, the Scientific Library of the Belarusian National Technical University, Research Library of Tomsk State University and SPSTL SB RAS. The authors showed the activities of libraries to organize the work of employees and service users. As a result, it was determined that libraries choose different ways and methods of working with users, develop innovative services, expand the repertoire of information resources / products, take measures to ensure the safe work of employees, including remotely. It was emphasized that not all types of work could be transferred to a remote mode, and that required quick decisions on the redistribution of functions among employees and the мlaunch of new projects. It is concluded that librarians need to continue learning digital etiquette and gaining new skills and competencies for telecommuting.

The material presents the views of the chairs and members of the dissertation councils at the KazGIK, MGIK, SPGIK and RSL on the specialty 05.25.03 indicated in the title on four issues: 1. Are you confident in the future of your dissertation council? What is your confidence or anxiety related to? 2. What do you think are the problems of modern library science, bibliography and book studies? 3. There are only 4 dissertation councils on the specialty – 03.25.03 – in Russia: in Kazan, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Khimki. Do you think this is sufficient for the development of our industry? 4. What question (s) on the dissertation council would you like to be asked?

The answers showed concern for the future of not only of dissertation counsils as such, but confirmed serious concerns about the future of the specialty 05.25.03.