Cabinet of self-education in Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library

The fulfillment of the tasks of national economic and cultural construction facing the country in the 1930’s inevitably forced the libraries to seek new forms of promoting the book to the broad masses of readers. During this period, much attention was paid to improving the scientific and cultural level of the population. October 8, 1933 was adopted by the Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) «On improving the cause of self-education». The main content of the work of the libraries on the participation in self-education of readers was reduced to the daily management of self-educational reading, to periodic consultations on individual disciplines, to reference and methodological work on organizing self-education and to advocacy work aimed at expanding the coverage of people seeking to engage in self-education. The principal difference from the usual one-time reference and consulting work consisted in the systematic and planned nature of the planned activity in this direction. Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library, in which a special plan of practical measures was developed to implement the tasks outlined in the 1933 Resolution, did not stand aside from the solution of the tasks set. The central place in it was taken by the organization in 1934 of an aid to self-education in order to actively guide readers’ reading, called the Cabinet of self-education. In the article the detailed history of creation and activity of this division is given for the first time. Particularly need of help readers - workers and employees without higher education. For them, recommendatory lists and filing cabinets were drawn up, consultations, exhibitions, lectures were given. In addition, work has begun to help self-education of the Party, Soviet and economic assets. The desire of readers to study in the Cabinet of self-education under the guidance of experienced librarians-consultants was quite large. The Cabinet of self-education in the State Public Library was preserved as an independent subdivision until the end of 1956, having fulfilled the tasks assigned to it.