Centralization of the library network in the Penza region (second half of the 1970s - early 1980s)

Grishin Anton Valer'evich ORCID: 0000-0001-7979-1228 Postgraduate student, Department History and Philosophy, Penza State University of Architecture and Construction 440028, Russia, Penza region, Penza, ul. Herman Titov, 28 uhbibyfynjy@rambler.ru

In the 1970s, the USSR centralized the network of state mass libraries (the State Interdepartmental Library Commission (GBC) under the Ministry of Culture of the USSR, "Regulation on the Centralization of State Mass Libraries" in 1975), i.e. the unification of previously independent library institutions into a single system with a common book fund and staff, a single administrative and economic management, centralized acquisition and processing of literature, the allocation of central libraries and the reorganization of all others into its branches.

"A new stage of library construction" – the centralization of the network of mass libraries gave impetus to the development of various aspects of centralization, the principles of a unified system of library services for the population, and the rational allocation of library resources ^[1-8]. In the post-Soviet period, there is a revision of the goals and progress of the centralization of the library network of mass libraries ^[9-10]. For example, M. N. Glazkov regards this decision as a desire to return to "genuine Leninism" and "revolutionary ideals" through administrative reorganization without increasing funding ^{[11, pp. 117-118]}.

The development of librarianship in the USSR attracted the interest of foreign researchers. E. Knutsen (USA) believes that Soviet libraries were controlled by the state and obliged to adhere to the principle of partisanship in their work to promote communist ideology ^{[12, p. 716]}. British historian S. Lovell and American researcher P. Hollander pointed out the great importance of reading in Soviet society, including as a preferred form of recreation ^{[13; 14, pp. 200-201]}.

In the Penza region, the key link of the library network was the institutions of the Ministry of Culture. In the mid-1970s, the main attention of the regional department of culture was focused on the implementation of measures related to the implementation of the resolution of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPSU "On measures to improve cultural education and the development of folk art" dated June 3, 1974, the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU "On increasing the role of libraries in the communist education of workers and scientific and technical progress", decisions of the executive committee of the Regional Council No. 610 of December 31, 1974 "On measures to implement the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR of November 22, 1974 No. 605 2 ON increasing the role of libraries in Communist education and scientific and technological progress2" ^{[15, l. 203; 16, l. 171]}.

Since 1974, preparations have begun in the region for the transition of the region's libraries to a centralized service system. A visit to Lipetsk by the head of the methodological department of the M. Y. Lermontov Regional library and the head of Library No. 1 in Kuznetsk was devoted to the study of the experience of the centralized urban-type library system ^{[17, L. 248]}. The heads of the Luninskaya and Bedno-Demyanovskaya district libraries were participants in the All-Russian workshop on the organization of centralized services for the rural population on the basis of the Kharabalinsky District Library of the Astrakhan region.

In 1975, the libraries of Kuznetsk, Luninsky and Bedno-Demyanovsky districts were transferred to a centralized service system ^{[18, l. 51]}. In this regard, in the information "The Congress is an inspired work (The work of the libraries of the region in 1975 and towards the 25th Congress of the CPSU)", the director of the M. Y. Lermontov Regional library N. M. Poletaeva stressed that "this, undoubtedly, progressive form of serving the population with a book at first needed close attention and support from on the part of the Soviet and party bodies on the ground", it was necessary to strengthen the material base of the main central united libraries – expansion of production areas, technical equipment, etc. However, if in Kuznetsk and Lunino a full understanding was reached with the district committees of the CPSU and district executive committees, then the Bedno-Demyanovsky district executive committee "turned a deaf ear to our requests, although it was The Bedno-Demyanovskaya district library needs help more than others (cramped premises, poor equipment)" ^{[19, l. 41-42]}. In the "Certificate on the state of work on communist education in the regional libraries of the Penza region" (1975) it was noted that the streamlining of the library network was not always carried out thoughtfully. In the Issinsky district, for example, the central estates of state farms were left without libraries.

The libraries of the region were transferred to a centralized system systematically. In 1978, the region had 19 centralized systems in 16 districts, including 3 urban ones, which accounted for approximately 63% of the entire system of state libraries. These CS, especially Bedno-Demyanovskaya, Kamenskaya, Luninskaya, Tamalinskaya, Serdobskaya, Kuznetskaya (urban), have accumulated significant experience in organizing work under centralization – organizing management, methodological guidance, creating a single fund, reference apparatus. The most effective was the work of the Bedno-Demyanovskaya Central Committee in the comprehensive promotion of literature in all branches of knowledge, the prompt communication of best practices to the consumer – a rural specialist. The experience of this system has been described and disseminated. The practice of the Serdobskaya Central Bank for the organization of assistance to specialists and agricultural workers in harvesting was also approved by the Board of the Department of Culture in September 1978 and recommended for dissemination ^{[20, L. 4]}. In 1979, there were 23 centralized systems in the region – 3 urban and 20 rural, which accounted for 73% of the entire system of state libraries ^{[21, L. 20]}. The CBS were under the jurisdiction of local cultural departments.

On December 11-16, 1978, a team of the Ministry of Culture of the RSFSR left for Penza and the region, consisting of a senior researcher at the M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin M. I. Gubanova, chief librarian of the 50th Anniversary of the Komsomol State Republican Youth Library Yu. V. Isaev, chief librarian of the State Republican Children's Library A.M. Lushelskaya, head of the processing department The State Republican Children's Library of E. P. Devyatova. The certificate on the results of the audit indicated that the plan for the transition to the centralization of state mass libraries, approved by the Board of the Department of Culture, was generally implemented, until 1980 it was supposed to complete the centralization of the remaining 11 districts, joint centralization of mass and children's libraries was introduced in the region, with the exception of the regional center. However, the issue of library services for the children's population needed to be finalized. So, despite the fact that an independent CBS of 8 children's libraries was organized in Penza, serving children, CBS libraries for adults continued to serve 6 thousand children readers, without providing them with specialized services. In the Kuznetsk Central Library of 12 thousand students of grades 1-8 in the neighborhood of two children's libraries (children's department and children's branch no. 2) there were 4 thousand students. As a result, more than 5,000 schoolchildren were readers of branch libraries for adults (in branches No. 4 and No. 5 - more than 1,000 children). But none of the 6 branches that served children had the necessary conditions for this. The reference on the materials of the business trip of the staff of the RSFSR GRDB noted that "the centralization of the library network, undertaken as a progressive form of public service, has not yet produced the desired results" ^{[19, l. 127]}.

In the resolution of the Board of Culture of the Penza Regional Executive Committee dated April 24, 1979 on the work of centralized library systems of Gorodishchensky and Kolyshleysky districts, shortcomings in their activities were noted, characteristic of other local central banks: the absence of a central consolidated catalog reflecting the fund of all branches, and a thematic and typological recruitment plan, which caused illiterate recruitment of branches of the system; there is no clear distribution Among the negative aspects of the transfer to a centralized library system, the reduction of staff in children's departments in Bedno-Demyanovsky, Luninsky, Gorodishchensky, Kolyshleisky (2 employees each remained in them) and Penza districts (3 employees remained) was also emphasized, and this was clearly not enough "to at a high level to serve readers and provide methodological guidance in relation to rural and school libraries" ^{[19, l. 131-132]}.

Gradually, the shortcomings were eliminated. In the certificate of the regional Department of Culture for 1979, it was emphasized that, in general, the new centralized service system justified itself. In the Zemetchinskaya, Kamenskaya, Tamalinskaya Central Library, the funds were transferred to a new non-inventory accounting system, which allowed to increase the productivity of employees of the central library. Introduced in order to improve the management of cultural and educational institutions of the region, a deep, comprehensive study of the content of their work and the provision of more specific material and practical assistance from the regional department of Culture, its methodological centers, art institutions, educational institutions of culture, cultural departments, in accordance with the order on the management of culture of the Penza Regional Executive Committee No. 88-and from August 9, 1976, the system of inspection and assistance to district libraries at least twice a year. In order to strengthen the qualitative side of methodological assistance to urban, children's and rural libraries from the methodological centers, Order No. 122 of the Penza Regional Executive Committee dated October 26, 1976 established the methodological day of work of district, adult and children's central city libraries in urban, children's and rural libraries of the region – Thursday. At a meeting of the cultural management asset of the regional executive committee on February 2, 1980, the director of the district centralized library system of the Penza region, L. P. Brovkina, pointed out the advantages of centralization: improving the composition of the book fund, taking into account the economic profile of farms when completing funds, reducing duplication ^{[22, L. 30-31]}.

In 1980, the centralization of librarianship was almost completed in the region: there were 31 systems: 3 – city, 27 – district, 1 – trade union; in 1981 – 32 systems: 3 – city, 28 – district, 1 – trade union. In some central banks, the Director's Councils and production meetings were successfully functioning. The work of libraries in 1981 was carried out under the motto "Work efficiently and efficiently!". The completed centralization of librarianship contributed to the improvement of public book services. Since January 1980, the libraries of the region began to switch to new forms of accounting for library and bibliographic classification; in 1981-1982, all collections were re-encrypted and catalogues were reclassified, consolidated catalogs were created for the entire collection of libraries in the district. However, they were not provided with the necessary equipment, catalog and shelf divisions, cards for accounting catalogs, etc.

Thus, the centralization of state mass libraries in the second half and early 1980s was carried out in order to improve their organizational and methodological management, optimize staff, and increase the efficiency of their activities. As a result, the formation of a common library fund improved the overall quality of library services provided. In addition, a system of providing scientific and methodological assistance to cultural institutions through central libraries has been established. The concentration of similar processes in the central library through the introduction of specialization in the field freed up time for direct work with readers, made it possible to apply the practice of a differentiated approach more productively.