The problem of scholarly knowledge strata is one of the key subjects in modern philosophy of science and epistemology (theory of knowledge). The threelevel model is the most popular in the document sphere as a sociocultural domain; it comprises empirical, theoretical and philosophical scientific knowledge. The author describes collision and contradictions between theoretical documentology and the empirical disciplines of document studies and book studies. He appraises achievements of empirical knowledge in the documentosphere and compares theoretical and methodological ways of three types: informational, conventional and medialogical ones. The author is skeptical about the following statement: the concept of document is relative, conventional and conditional in its essence. The author examines “The Strategy for Librarianship in the Russian Federation for the Period up to the Year 2030”. He insists that the Strategy has to be supported by the scientific strategy aimed to promote each level of empirical, theoretical and philosophical knowledge. He is also concerned about lacking philosophical level in document studies. The wisdom of philosophy lies in its comprising both rational and irrational sides of objects being studied. With document rational and irrational attributes in view, he offers the philosophical definition of document: document is the statement of humanness within social environment and historical time. This definition comprises anthropological and national variations of homo sapiens and philosophical concept of humanness as the unity of the opposite universal principles – the material and ideal.

The role and place of science libraries during the transfer to digital science information and online user services is examined. The authors argue that in these circumstances of transfer to digital communication and Internet-based services and facilities, the peer-reviewed journals still maintain their role as a key publication format and promptly deliver research findings to researchers and experts. Open access has not been widely adopted in fundamental sciences: the scholarly information awareness system has to be financed by the government. The network of academic and research libraries make the part of this system. Based on the experience of the centralized library network (CLN) of the Russian Academy of Sciences Library for Natural Sciences (RAS LNS), the possibilities of the vast academic library network are explored. The structure of full-text collection of CLN RAS LNS is analyzed. This collection core is made primarily of the National Electronic Subscription materials comprising the world most established academic journals. With the Internet, these resources can be delivered directly to researcher’s workplace via the two channels under the National Electronic Subscription program, i. e. via his/her organizational subscription or via the library providing services to his/her organization. Both channels should be integrated in the system where the core resources are provided directly to the organization, and individual components demanded by individual researcher – via the library network. This system of science information provision has been for several years efficiently functioning at CLN RAS LNS. The need for similar system for the outside of National Electronic Subscription program is substantiated.

The issues of networked library interaction is examined and exemplified by the experience of the Pushchino Scientific Center Central Library (division of the Library for Natural Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, LNS RAS). Ready-made software solutions designed by LNS RAS specialists enabled the participating libraries to implement computer-aided collection development system, union reference aids, online ordering, lending and refusal registration, digital resources access system. The authors focus, in particular, on specific networked interactions between the scientific library and users of its information services. Within the framework of the Library-Research Institute of Pushchino Center cooperation, the main efforts of the Library are focused on implementing modern network technologies, providing access to information resources, research information support, developing union Internet-based catalogs within the online order system, designing problem-oriented databases and maintaining current list of networked resources in physico-chemical biology. New library services are described, e.g. bibliometric and patent research, design and maintenance of the library website. Approaches to building network interaction with libraries of various types, institutions of memory (archives, museums, etc.), publishers’, and mass media, are discussed. The authors come to the conclusion that networked cooperation is efficient organizational and technological instrument to provide equal use opportunities for every member of library information network.

The author systematize history of Russian university libraries, analyze their progressing in digital environment, and discuss new possibilities for modernizing education and academic libraries, in particular. The laws and regulations for university libraries are reviewed; their functions and services are specified. As a result of global information processes intensive growth, the demand for elibraries and their services have been increasing. The students of Cherepovets State University were surveyed on the issues of library service efficiency. The survey proved the significance and relevance of library services for the students; the strengths and weaknesses of library services were identified. The authors emphasize the need for intensifying marketing component in library activities and promotion of its services, and for studying target audience demands. The prospects for academic libraries are also discussed.

Library statistics is an important and effective method of analyzing library activities and identifying problems, planning and forecasting. Reliability, accuracy, completeness and comparability of the data are the most significant provisions. In her earlier publication, the author identified several inaccuracies in annual statistical reports submitted by university libraries. To identify discrepancies in 2019 statistics, the comparative analysis was accomplished for Orel State academic libraries. The study demonstrated that sometimes the libraries didn’t provide accurate and precise statistics with lacking logical connection between the indicators presented in different report sections. Individual factors differ significantly despite similarity of other factors that influence the former ones. The author concludes on the necessity of measures to be taken by RLA university library section, library methodological divisions, and by the academic libraries themselves. For this purpose, the author suggests to develop methodological recommendations on calculating statistics, statistical surveying of academic libraries and implementing the methods into practice.

The Ecology Section of RNPLS&T website maintained since 2003 is targeted at both Library users and partners in ecological education and information. Access to bibliographic annotated database “Ecology: Science and technology” and to e-library in ecology is provided; new acquisition bibliography are published monthly; information on exhibitions, conference proceedings and webinar records are also available. These are the ways to inform Library users and partners on publications in ecology, sustainable development and RNPLS&T’s efforts in ecology education and awareness building. The traffic to ecological pages evidences on the demand and usefulness of the provided information. The bibliometrical analysis of the Ecology Section was completed; the author provides its findings. The Section materials are characterized. The traffic statistics, i. e. number of views, visit depth, link sources, is provided for the period January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. AWStats vs. Yandex.Metrica data are compared; corresponding improvement lines are identified for RNPLS&T website Ecology Section. 

The experience of Russian libraries in educating ecological (ecological information) culture is widely discussed in domestic professional media. However, in Russia we feel the lack of information on relevant activities of foreign libraries and/or library associations. The authors offer their analysis of digital resources in sustainable development, green movement and ecological education of the population as provided by the American Library Association (ALA) and presented on ALA website. The resources comprise information on the efforts of ALA structural units related to organization of sustainable development activities at libraries; ALA politics and guiding materials; the interactive blog on libraries’ supporting sustainable communities; the catalog of new books in the “American Libraries” series within the subject scope “Sustainable development at the libraries”, and key international documents on sustainable development. The concept of three components of sustainable development of the society – Economy, Ecology and Equity – aka Three E, which ALA considers to be fundamental for sustainable libraries, is analyzed. Based on their analysis, the authors suggest that libraries will design and realize their own projects unifying all Three E. They conclude that further studies of the efforts of foreign libraries and/or library associations in ecological education and development of ecological (ecological information) culture, and, in particular, the study of relevant digital (electronic) resources are vitally important for Russian libraries and library science, including commencing digital (electronic) library science.
Ecology and studying the related experience of libraries are among the major lines of activities of the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology (RNPLS&T). The paper is prepared within the framework of the State Order № 075-01300-20-00.