The author examines the issues related to library research inRussia. While the community’s interest towards libraries as a social institution is decreasing, library professionals discuss how to get users back to the libraries, and explore new roles of libraries in the modern information society. Scientifically based sociological surveys would enable to reveal user interests and demands and to find their growing points. The author also analyzes the library studies held by several operators inRussiawithin the recent three years. Among these operators are: the government providing independent assessment of services in the social sphere; large sociological centers like VCIOM (All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center) and Levada-Center; and the libraries. The studies subject scope is specified, that is: services quality, reading volume and repertoire, using library and information resources, professional community. It is emphasized that quality independent assessment is aimed at shaping strategies of cultural development while the librarians’ studies are mostly of the tactical character. Information on the quality and range of the research issues being addressed is generalized, methodological advantages and disadvantages are demonstrated, the formula for efficient studies is proposed.

The findings of the bibliometric study of the national journals in library and information activities are reviewed. The multifacet analysis of the journal publications is accomplished and, based on this, their impact is assessed. Nine well-known scientific journals from Russian Science Citation Index database for the years 2010-2014 were chosen for the study. For each publication, the number and the share of cited articles were calculated, as well as the total and the average number of the links they got. The ordered series is developed to determine the frequency of articles citation within the four defined groups. The most cited publications are specified. Within the citation time range, the most prestigious library and information journals are revealed. The types of citing publications with the journals leading among them are determined; links are distributed by publication year. The structure of citing periodicals in various industries (subject headings of the State Rubricator of Sci-tech Information) is analyzed. 33 journals citing library publications belong in the section 13.00.00 Culture, Cultural Studies. The authors conclude on the low citation of several specialized journals which could be probably due to their insufficient scientific impact or serious problems in the national library and bibliographic studies.

The results of the comparative bibliometric analysis of 100 scientific journals being published in the Russian Central Federal Area are discussed to evaluate the contribution of the regional periodicals to the modern scientific communications as the case study of Ryazan Region journals. The data are obtained as the result of search in the Russian Science Citation Index in July, 2018.Ryazanjournals were compared to that of the Central Federal Okrug within two groups of bibliometrical parameters. The first group (impact factor and Science Index rating) reflects the scholarly community’s demand for the journals. The second group comprises 2-year self-citation factor and five-year Herfindahl index for citing journals. Comparing two groups of results makes the estimation fair. It was found thatRyazanjournals hold the medial positions in the scientometrical ratings of the Central Federal Okrug with the greater contribution to the juridical disciplines; their impact factor is lower and self-citation of several journals is higher. The article is prepared under the project № 17-13-62001-OGN supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

Researchers’ information needs and information search issues are examined based on polling the researchers ofNovosibirskResearchCenterof theRussianAcademyof Sciences Siberian Branch. The polling was organized by the State Public Library for Science and Technology RAS SB. The answers related to information retrieval and difficulties the researchers are facing, were analyzed. It was found that the researchers regularly search information within their studies subject scope and, as a rule, made advanced users of different level information systems, and used independently the databases like Web of Science, Scopus, Russian Science Citation Index. However, some researchers experience difficulties in choosing resources for information sources or formulating queries. Based on the study findings, the authors propose several services to be demanded by researcher users, among them: analyzing dynamics of the document flow within specific topics and the most productive authors, retrospective subject search and assistance provided by bibliographic managers. Besides, the Library could provide information services for using archives and dealing with intellectual property issues.

The authors examine and compare the shares of ecological information in the news and book flows. Having used the Russian Science Citation Index and Google Books services and analyzed the data of the Russian Book Chamber, they assessed the share of academic monographs in ecology and environmental protection. To specify the data, they have analyzed e-catalogs of several leading and regional libraries. The topic under examination is acute as it is to continue the discussion on the issues raised in the paper “The role of mass media in educating ecological consciousness” by A. G. Sokolov, ITAR-TASS Director General, presented at the 5-th All-Russia Congress on Environmental Protection (December 12, 2017).

Based on their study, the authors prove that the share of ecological information in the whole flow is comparatively low and haven’t been changing for many years. The authors propose some original though well-reasoned conclusions on the role of ecological information in the modern world. The authors encourage colleagues to initiate their own studies and to enter into discussion with the authors. The article comprises links to expanded data on which the study is based.

In this anniversary article dedicated to Galina Shvetsova-Vodka, prominent bibliographer, book and document researcher, the author points to the widest scope of her professional and creative interests and focuses on her contribution to the documentology (also called document science and document studies) as the general document theory. Within this discipline, since 1991, Shvetsova-Vodka has published over 70 books, articles and reviews. She has accepted the methodologically correct attitude and, in her studies, leans upon the definition accepted by the International Organization for Standardization. Her works contributed to specifying the term “document” on different, in the width or contents, levels, to classifying documents, to understanding the multiplicity of document essential elements, to revealing the laws of the discipline. In her works, great attention is given to the relations between the “document” and “book” terms. The author demonstrates that G. Shvetsova-Vodka follows very closely the scientific thought and takes part in the professional discussions, develops concepts in bibliology, bibliosphere and informsphere. Among them, the concept of noocommunicology is implemented and well-developed by Galina Shvetsova-Vodka.

On the occasion of to the jubilee of Kama Urmurzina, the author discusses her professional activities as a Head of the Republican Library for Science and Technology of Kazakhstan and her contribution into international cooperation K. Urmurzina participates in the IFLA World Library and Information Congresses, Crimea International Forums. Urmurzina also acts as a vice president of the International Association of Users and Developers of Electronic Libraries and New Information Technologies; her public activities got her many awards: certificates of merit from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the RK Committee for Culture, award pins: Honored Worker of Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan», «Honored Worker of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan», «Honored Worker of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan»; medals: «Veteran Worker», «In gratitude from the Afghan people». Data on Kama Urmurzina and her professional contribution to the library and information community is included into the international directory “Who is Who in the Library and Information World inRussiaand the CIS”.

The author discusses the history of librarianship inRussiain 1914-1918 that is poorly investigated. The activities of pro-government and illegal libraries of various political parties are examined. The examples of the agitation-and-propaganda literature for the militaries are given. The conditions for distributing illegal library literature among the front-line troops are revealed. The libraries for the Russian prisoners of war in the German and Austro-Hungarian camps were organized. Precious library collections were deported fromRussiaunder the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. Methods and vectors of the activities of illegal and semi-legal libraries behind the lines are also examined. The author proves that these libraries were in fact the revolutionaries’ pivot: there the meetings and gatherings were held; the revolutionaries used the library premises as safe houses. The weak top bureaucracy was unable to confront the revolutionary forces, in particular by the library laws. The author emphasizes that the ideological division within the Russian society was growing, strata and classes were splitting. The conditions for ideological defeat ofRussiain the World War I are analyzed.

The authors review the topics discussed at the London Book Fair 2018 (April 10-12, 2018), in particular, the publishing industry, statistics, growing audiobooks sales, using big volumes of customer data for increasing profits, artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies. The printed and digital books have reached some balance, while the future of e-books looks the more complicated from the perspective of copyright, self-publication, open access, piracy, data acquisition, fake news, social networks regulation and new, hidden forms of censorship. The publishing process players believe that lacking e-document rights management instruments (DRM) influences positively on the number of downloads. The authors focus on science and academic publishing issues, digital technologies in publishing. The review of these issues presented by Michael Coleman, Elsevier Publishers’ Vice President, President of International Publishers Association, is discussed. Changes of national copyright legislations in several countries are analyzed. The authors emphasize that publishers are responsible for information quality and reliability. Freedom of publications is also discussed.