All-Russian day of the librarian

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Now the role of the book in the life of a modern person has significantly decreased, as well as respect for education. Sometimes it is difficult to find not just a well-read person, but at least someone who openly confesses his love for reading. And it does not depend on social status. The upper strata of society read no more than the lower strata.

There are several reasons for this, and one of them is the poor popularization of books in the media and society. Also, the silent "ridicule" of the image of a well-read young man, which can be clearly seen in films and serials, plays an important role in this.

But the situation is not as deplorable as it was in the 90s, today maybe not everyone knows when the day of the librarian is celebrated, but very many begin to take an active interest in the latest literature, visiting various bookstores or simply buying an interesting book for them in electronic version.

The role of reading books in shaping personality

Many underestimate the importance of books and the role they play in shaping a person's character and outlook. Scientists have long proven that one who loves to read and has read a lot of literature in his life has mucha greater level of intelligence than someone who does not read at all.

And the point here is not only in the knowledge gained, but in the process itself. This can be explained more clearly with a simple example: when you watch TV, your brain perceives the finished picture, and when you read a novel or non-fiction, the brain itself creates a picture of what is happening. Thus, developing the human imagination.

Another fact that not everyone knows about: reading also develops writing skills, so often those who prefer to spend their leisure time reading a book write dictations much better than those who do not. This is one of the reasons why children are given lists of recommended reading in schools during the summer holidays.

History of libraries

Librarianship is not new, it has been familiar to mankind since ancient times. You can even say that history has come down to us thanks to libraries, it was there that the chronicles of the events that took place over the centuries of the development of civilizations were preserved.

The oldest library today is considered to be located in the city of Nippur, belonging to the Sumerian civilization.

There were also many libraries in Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece, where, however, education was the privilege of free citizens. The working day of a librarian at that time did not end at 17:00, as today, often people involved in the preservation of books also de alt with their rewriting. And it was, though honorable, but by no means an easy task.

One of the largest libraries of the ancient worldthe Library of Alexandria was considered, founded by Alexander the Great himself. It has not reached our days, it was burned during ancient wars.

On the territory of Russia, the first public library is considered to be at the St. Sophia Cathedral, which was founded by Yaroslav the Wise in 1037.

In the Middle Ages in Christian countries, libraries were mainly attached to monasteries and churches, as it was in Russia and Western Europe.

When the day of the librarian was established

Although various professional holidays are regularly celebrated today, one should not assume that this has always been the case. Most of these dates have a history no older than a century, and some even less. Among them is the day of the librarian in Russia, established already in modern times.

A memorable historical date was taken as a basis - May 27, 1795, when the first library with public access for everyone was opened in the capital of the then Russian Empire, St. Petersburg, by decree of Catherine II. And B. N. Yeltsin established this date as "librarian's day" in 1995.

It is worth noting that the building of the first library opened in St. Petersburg has not only been preserved, the institution is still functioning. It annually celebrates the day of the librarian, regularly holds meetings with writers and book fairs.

Traditional events

Every year on May 27, all libraries in the country try not only to celebrate their professional holiday, but at the same time to popularize the reading of books. Of course, in big citieslarger events are being held, but regional centers also strive to keep up to the best of their ability.

Standard Librarian Day activities are:

• meeting readers with popular writers, where the first can freely ask questions of interest to them;
• book fairs with some thematic bias or just a good discount on books;
• rewarded with awards and cash prizes to employees who have made a significant contribution to the development of librarianship.

Celebrating International Day

Do not confuse the all-Russian day of the librarian with the celebration of this professional holiday in the international format. These are completely different dates, which sometimes people who are far from the book world do not know.

But still, there is one circumstance that makes these holidays related - both of them are quite young. The International Day of Librarians was established at the initiative of UNESCO only in 1999. It is celebrated on October 24 every year, but was truly recognized only in 2008.

It is also celebrated here, although not on such a large scale.

What are libraries missing today?

The number of library visitors today has fallen significantly compared to Soviet times, and there are many reasons for this. Not the last role in this is played by the lag in technical equipment, as well as the fair obsolescence of book publications.

Many libraries have most of their collections published back in Soviet times. And, as you know, time does not add strength to paper publications. This issue is especially relevant in the outback, where libraries are often updated at the expense of amateurs who donate their books to the public.

But technology has played a key role in reducing library attendance. Most young people, if they want to read a book, will find and download it on the Internet. Or listen to it in an audio recording format, although this method of assimilation of information is considered ineffective!

Of course, it is difficult to return interest in reading books in paper format quickly, but with the support of the state and the media, people will not only know what date the librarian's day is, but also visit libraries on weekdays for the usual purpose.