Social Functions of Modern Libraries as Cultural Institution

Abstract

The paper analyzes the social function of libraries in modern society, various approaches to this problem in Russian librarianship. The author characterizes the traditionally recognized social functions of a library (essential and derivative ones), justifies the need to revise the methodological approaches to library activities in connection with changes in social life, starting from the 1990s, taking into account the emergence of new industrial technologies and marketing strategies. On the example of libraries in Khabarovsk Krai, the author explores the pros and cons of the implementation of new social functions, makes a conclusion about the need of modern libraries to comply with new cultural mission. Research area: theory and history of culture. Libraries are one of the most important cultural institutions; their role and importance in the society are based on the implementation of certain social functions. For a long time, so-called resource-based approach prevailed in the national library science. According to this approach, the main library resource is assets of documents (information resources). This amount, structure, renewability and state of assets, books and other documents stored in a library, were the basis for their activities. The composition of the funds determined the content of enlightening (educational) work with the library readers. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Iu.N. Stoliarov and A.V. Sokolov justified social functions of libraries in their research on library science. These functions, in turn, were divided by the essential and derivative ones. First, essential social functions of libraries are in the spread in time and space of socially significant ideas and knowledge recorded in the documents, in order to meet the existing information needs and to create new demand. Their implementation is defined by a library "mission" (public purpose) and includes the collection, storage of documents and the organization of access to information, satisfying needs of users in information and related ones. Three basic functions of the library were considered essential: