The research infrastructure of Chelyabinsk State Institute of Culture  and its key research vectors are discussed. The bibliometric analysis of the faculty for the year 2018 is carried out based on the statistical indicators of Russian Science Citation Index, Web of Science and Scopus. The authors emphasize that studying the faculty’s publication activity contributes to the successful development of the Institute’s research infrastructure. With the faculty publication activity data, the university administrations are able to keep track of concepts development, publication types, publication intervals, publications in priority vectors in science, technology and engineering in Russia, etc. The authors also emphasize that authors and publications competitiveness have to be increased, and faculties have to be motivated to publish their research findings in leading academic periodicals.

The authors also focus on the role of academic libraries in promoting and increasing publication activity, transforming information services and bibliographic activities. They conclude that universities’ academic libraries today are becoming the innovation sites supporting education and learning processes through their reference and bibliographic services.

The obtained data will make the foundation for updating research and creative focuses of university’s chairs and departments.

Relevant issues of building the collections of documentary monuments in libraries are discussed: principal identification of monuments within the context of  functional converging of modern libraries, archives and museums; traditional and innovative approaches to collection structuring, populating, expanding; specific character of museum and archival collections of this type. The author provides multiple examples of traditional archival and museum items included into science library collections provided that they legitimately belong to certain documentary monument type or in case they appear to comprise a well-defined documentary component. The author proves that these documentary monuments non-characteristic for library collections are nevertheless principal for scientific libraries though they may not dominate: the core collections of universal or specialized scientific libraries are made of printed books, other publications, unique and rare valuable publications and items. The current tasks of optimization and updating of documentary monument collections in scientific libraries call for creative non-standard solutions aimed at expansion and modernization of these collections taking into account increased typological variability, i. e. new types and groups of documentary monuments, including valuable digital documents, to be acquired. Innovative approaches have to be based on theoretical, methodological and specialized foundation of expertise, selection, description, preservation activities and revealing new, non-typical collections, as well as on inclusion corresponding disciplines into the librarians’ advanced training curricula. The author emphasizes, however, that modernization does not imply depreciating traditional forms of dealing with the monuments which is the classic of library theory and practice.

The paper continues to review ideas, technologies and solutions discussed at the London Book Fair 2019. There are two through lines of technology development. First, our “new” technology is derivative of earlier technologies, similar to Darwinian evolution. Second, each of those earlier technologies resulted in upheaval, uncertainty, and unrest. The blockchain platform is already taking a transformative role in supply chain management, music licensing, recordkeeping. Rights transactions for creative works happen in myriad ways. First you have a book deal, then video deal, then e-book licensing deal or a video game deal or a merchandising deal. With blockchain, all those deals can be united in a “smart contract”. The launch by the European Research Council of the Coalition S consortium with the goal of making “full and immediate Open Access to research publications a reality” was a major development in open access last year. Open access must be based on a sustainable model. Copyright was created to encourage and reward creativity. We should not expect copyright to constantly contort itself into something for which it was not intended. Policy focus is now on "democratizing knowledge” and ensuring as many people as possible can tap into this rich natural resource of mankind.

The structure of electronic library system of URIGHT Publishers (Moscow) specializing in academic book publishing for universities and colleges is discussed. The system comprises publications in natural sciences. Hypertextuality, interactivity and multimedia are the key features used efficiently and completely to design digital derivative learning materials in natural disciplines and corresponding parts of the electronic library system specifically for gaining knowledge and learning in natural sciences. This specific character is defined by objective and universal character of this knowledge, its accuracy, uniqueness, invariance, as well as by the structuredness of scholarly knowledge. Many objects and processes of the nature call for static and dynamic visualization. Links to the core structural elements, full-text search, bookmarkers, video, animation, and tests are available. URIGHT Electronic Library System also comprises the works by prominent natural scientists of the past and classics of popularization. With few exceptions, the classical scholarly works are published as texts with hypertext links which is a sufficient fitting. The classic popular publications are additionally supplied with videos which is seen as a rational solution. The article will be of interest to the librarians in universities and colleges teaching natural sciences and disciplines as well as to academic publishers specializing in the area.

The creation of green libraries is approaching a tipping point, generating a Green Library Movement, which is comprised of librarians, libraries, cities, towns, college and university campuses committed to greening libraries and reducing their environmental impact. The Movement emerged in the early 1990s and gained popularity in the library profession around 2003. This innovation is happening by building green library buildings, by greening existing library facilities, providing green library services, and embracing environmentally supportive and sustainable practices within the library.  Constructing a green library building using a performance standard like LEED is a way some libraries are choosing to become green and sustainable (“Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”). The California Integrated Waste Management Board defines a green or sustainable building as “a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner” Environmental challenges like energy depletion and climate change will influence the type of information resources and programs libraries will provide to their communities.

The structure and contents of the textbook published by Orel State Institute of Culture in the year of the 75-th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War is reviewed. The learning aid is intended for education bachelors in the discipline 071900 «Library and information activities». The reviewer emphasizes the relevancy of the publication within the context of the attempts being made to revise the results and causes of the World War II. The textbook comprises vast factual material on robbing and annihilation of cultural values by the Third Reich; on saving the Soviet library book collections during the Nazi aggression; on the heroic deeds of librarians who were saving the collections. The book provides insight into the country’s book losses during the Great Patriotic War (WWII) and the restitution issues. The reviewer identifies several limitations of the book: no discussion of front line support by the libraries, of establishing library branches at hospitals and mobile libraries in bomb shelters and Moscow metro. The reviewer also emphasizes the need for publishing an expanded and updated edition of the textbook at large publishers’.

The article is devoted to the activity of Zhores I. Alferov as a curator of the Russian Academy of Sciences Library (BAN), which is little known to a wide audience. It reports about his role in the construction of a new book depository for the funds suffered after the 1988 tragic fire, in expanding international contacts in the Academy of Sciences; participation in the publication of unique materials of the “Academicians’ case of 1929–1931”, and “Annals of the Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences”; initiative in attracting the attention of students of the Academic University of the Russian Academy of Sciences to the history of the Library. Zh. I. Alferov supported establishing the Council for defending PhD theses on specialty 05.25.03 "Library Science, Bibliography and Book Science” in BAN that worked during 1998–2007. For nine years, more than 20 people defended their dissertations. The author emphasizes the special role of Zh. I. Alferov in discussing library science issues in the academic community at the meetings of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the St. Petersburg Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. His openness, responsiveness and democratic attitude toward the staff of the Russian Academy of SciencesLibrary made him a respected person of all library staff. Evidence of this is the fundamental bibliographic index of Zh. I. Alferov’s publications, which was issued in 2010 in the famous series “Materials for the biobibliography of scientists”.

The paper coincides with the 90-th anniversary of Lev Zakharovich Amlinsky, professor and doctor of science in pedagogy. The findings of Lev Amlinsky’s studies represented in his recent publications in «Scientific and Technical Libraries» journal for the period of 2011–2016 are analyzed. The subject scope of the works comprises:  design of remote library and information services and library resources, architectural and constructional design, provision of psychological comfort for patrons and librarians. Lev Amlinsky’s concept of library design is an anthropocentric one, i. e. the interests of humans, patrons and librarians, must primarily come to the fore when designing libraries. The necessity for apprehending traditional libraries as the space for patrons and librarians, rather than the physical space for books is substantiated. Technological dependence of interior library space has to be replaced with psychological and ergonomic expediency. The scholar has validated  a fundamentally new concept of library space arrangement: the libraries are pieces of architecture, however, their interior architecture should meet their functional purpose. The role of efficient architect – librarian  cooperation between an under librarian’s leadership is emphasized.