The results of the bibliometric analysis of scientometric indicators of scientific journals in the sphere of agricultural mechanization and electrification are presented. The publications were selected based on SRSTI (State Rubricator of Sci-tech Information, GRNTI). All national journals in the area were analyzed. The selected bibliometric indicators provide for the multirater assessment of the journals. These are: citation five-year impact factor, loadings, and self-citation coefficient. Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) Database served as the source for the data on every journal. Finally, five most significant publications were chosen, with three of them already included in the RSCI Database, and the remaining two – being recommended for inclusion. The completed comparative analysis permits to identify the most demanded journals for each indicator. The Scientific Journal of KubSAU is the most cited one, also leading in the number of loadings. The Agricultural Machinery and Technologies Journal demonstrates the highest impact factor. The Tractors and Agricultural Machinery Journal shows the lowest self-citation coefficient. The factors to increase the use of scientific serials are discussed. The obtained results may be used to increase authority and citation of publications in agroengineering, and to support their acquisition to the sci-tech library collections.

The authors describe the Structural Database (SD) in chemistry supported by the All-Russian Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of the Russian Academy of Sciences (VINITI RAS). The SD history, content, data formats and software are characterized in brief. The database development technologies based exclusively on digital media, are described. The techniques and software for adapting SD retrocollections to advanced software are discussed. The SD products are characterized, i. e. online structured search system, autonomous structured search system, autonomous system for chemical reaction search, e-dictionary of named reactions. The advantage of autonomous systems for searching chemical structures and reactions is that they can be installed on PCs. The SD-based information products can be used in fundamental and applied chemical studies, in chemical industry, education, and in information support of databases, sci-tech libraries and publishers’. The SD array may be applied in the studies based on the vast amount of factual information.

The article is based on the findings of the study of linguistic instruments of information search used in e-catalogs of Russian largest libraries. For the study, the libraries with the collections of over 4 million entries were sele cted. The authors analyze search types applicable to e-catalog search interface. They specify the following search types applied in the above libraries: single-line (simple) search, standard (basic), advanced and professional search. The advanced search options are discussed, namely refinement systems, ranking and sorting of search results; at least one of these options is used in the e-catalogs under study. The authors also analyze the systems of search dictionaries, guidelines and use characteristics. The popular information retrieval languages are discussed with the conclusion made that the e-catalogs under study offer search options for various sets of bibliographic elements, among them author, title, year of publication, and subject search based on verbal languages (every library under study) and classification languages (majority of the libraries). The authors formulate the common features inherent in the libraries' e-catalogs and information retrieval linguistic instruments. They also offer recommendations on how to develop and efficiently use these instruments for upgrading library e-catalogs.

The author analyzes the problem of foreign libraries’ changing status in the digital world. During the recent decade of rocketing digitalization of various aspects of social life, the libraries have been demonstrating their ability to solve many complicated sociotechnological problems related to information structure reorganization, introduction of access management models, and improvement of user services. The author focuses on antagonistic interaction of digitalization and democratization processes in the circumstances of global information capitalism: along with commercialization of access to digital content secured by monopolistic providers of scientific databases and substantial digital colonization of the countries with underdeveloped technological infrastructure, the initiatives of open access licensing and “copyleft” system, etc., take place. The experience of libraries MIT (USA) is analyzed where the technological priorities are balanced with the public access to controlled data arrays to secure the high status of libraries in the global digital future. The author examines the emerging digital library paradigm in the process of progressive adaptation to the e-civilizational infrastructure within the concepts “libraries 1.0” (comprising websites, servers, HTML-format, integrated information systems), “libraries 2.0” (social media, blogs, service-oriented platforms, XML, RSS), and “libraries 3.0” (Linked Open Data, personal area networks, cloud storage, sematic web).

The detailed analysis of the Bitcoin network and its main participants. The expert authors (Igor Makarov, London School of Economics, Antoinette Schoar, MIT Sloan School of Management) completed the study authorized by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the US-based private agency. The Bitcoin network is defined as a new database comprising many of public and proprietary sources to link bitcoin address to real object, and an extensive set of algorithms to extract information on market key players behavior. Three major pieces of analysis of the Bitcoin eco-system were conducted. First, the authors analyze the transaction volume and network structure of the main participants on the blockchain. Second, they document the concentration and regional composition of the miners which are the backbone of the verification protocol and ensure the integrity of the blockchain ledger. Finally, they analyze the ownership concentration of the largest holders of Bitcoin. The researchers found that 1/3 of all bitcoins issued were owned by 10,000 individual investors. They conclude that the high concentration makes the first cryptocurrency market vulnerable to hypothetical hacker attack. The translator notes that paraphrasing English text in Russian was rather challenging due to the newness of the financial agenda and introduction of the term entity extensively used in the Western countries though new to Russia. Nevertheless, it is necessary to introduce readers to the bitcoin technology which will be also practical and useful for the library and information community.

The author examines various aspects of website promotion in scientific and technical libraries. Possible ways and vectors of website promotion based on existing sections of websites and Internet portals are suggested, e. g. dissemination of information on sci-tech developments. Digital exhibitions, news, accounts in social media and at video hostings, etc. The option of scientist’s personal account is discussed: using these accounts enables access to the full range of services presented in scientific and technical libraries, while the feedback is also provided. Promotion through methodological and consulting support is discussed. The experience of Pushchino Research Center Library is shared. The author concludes that the integrated approach is needed to promote websites and portals of sci-tech libraries based on the information on library services and capabilities and on science popularization.

The authors discuss the scientific legacy of Professor Emilia Konstantinonva Bespalova (1930–2007), prominent figure in the library and information sphere, Doctor of Science in Pedagogy. Her life and professional career will stay put in in the glorious history of Russian intelligentsia, which has always been distinguished by diligence and selfless worship to culture and education. Bespalova’s legacy is vast and diverse. Her works cover the relevant topical problems of the library and information sphere and are highly demanded to this day. However, many aspects of her work have been understudied, in particular, her contribution to the recommendatory bibliography. For the first time, the authors analyze Bespalova’s views on recommendatory bibliography and her methodological concepts she was developing since 1970. The conceptual content of Bespalova’s Cand. Sc. thesis work is illuminated. In her works, Bespalova introduced the concept of recommendatory bibliography comprising terminological evolution, origins, characteristics of this subtype of national bibliography, periodization and author definition of the term “recommendatory bibliography”. The concept has been developed in the later works. The authors offer conceptual analysis of these works.

The unique portrait of Valery P. Leonov, outstanding bibliologist, bibliography and library scientist, former long-term director of the Library of the Academy of Sciences is based on the digest of his scholarly works. Valery P. Leonov enjoys word-wide popularity and impeccable scholarly reputation. He interprets the written records, book and library esoterically. He pays serious attention to the phenomenon of serendipity or insight. It was he who introduced the processoriented concept of library science, and he advocated his concept at the highest bodies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Valery P. Leonov’s works, as well as his personal experience evidence on the way of high-caliber professional in the library community.