The Lenin State Library: The National Library of the USSR

Abstract

The Lenin State Library (LSL) was built on foundations laid in the mid-19th century, and received large and valuable additions after the 1917 Revolution. Its status, principles and organizational basis were confirmed by a government decree of 1984.

Among its functions were that of a public library serving the population at large, and as the centre for the national retrospective, scholarly and ‘recommendatory bibliography’. The collections contain c.40 million units, but acquisitions are now substantially reduced because of the economic crisis and the political changes. Some expensive institutional and private national imprints do not come within the framework of the present legal deposit system, and the LSL now has little money to buy foreign materials. Space shortage and poor conservation conditions inhibit its work in the field of preservation. It is heavily used, each year receiving 2.6 visits and issuing 30 million volumes. The catalogue of the former restricted collection has been incorporated in the public catalogues and the materials are now available. A ‘Concept’ recently developed for the period up to 2010 distinguishes two groups of functions – main functions, which follow from the library's social purpose, and additional functions which emerge at certain stages of development. Other important functions already being performed are specialized information support of government bodies, the Book Museum and the Central Scientific-Military Library. The scale of activities of the LSL, which is not limited by geographical or departmental borders, is expressed in the definition of it as the Ail-Union national library; this together with the national libraries of the republics makes up the aggregate system of national libraries of the country.