Library of the Academy of Sciences: the composition of funds and importance for the book culture of Russia in the first half of the 18th century

Abstract

Introduction. The appearance of the Library of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg (1714) is an important milestone in the history of the Russian Enlightenment. For the first time in the history of Russia, the multilingual and universal foundation of the institution provided open and equal access to the book heritage and European education for all literate people. In fact, it was from this moment that we can talk about the origin of librarianship in the country, the use of book culture and Western books in the socio-economic modernization of Peter I. Methods. The comparative historical method, which made it possible to establish the correlation between the role of the state and private individuals in the formation of the Library of the Academy of Sciences, should be noted as research methods. An important role in the study was played by the use of the comparative analysis method, which made it possible to comprehensively study the role of individual book collections in the development of this structure. The quantitative analysis method gave an idea of the reading preferences of bibliophiles, whose collections replenished the library. The basic approach in the study was the theory of modernization, which explains the process of transformation and complication of the cultural traditions of the Russian Empire. The theory of modernization makes it possible to assess the enormous information potential that libraries had and which were a factor for successful creativity and, in general, the personal development of the most educated class of the Russian Empire.The results of the study. Book exchange with foreign organizations and institutions made a significant contribution to the completion of the library during this period. To do this, the Academy actively published its works, which were subsequently exchanged for publications needed in Russia. At the same time, the book exchange took place through the same commission agents who worked in the interests of the Academy of Sciences abroad. The creation of a universal fund in Russian and foreign languages helped strengthen the authority of secular books in Russia, democratized the very process of spreading new information and facts. The active flow of publications from abroad contributed to the inclusion of Western experience in the modernization processes, created the necessary conditions and factors for the accelerated development of Peter's reforms.