“Merging libraries may take many years”
The head of the RSL and NLR announced the beginning of public discussion of the project of the Association.
Heads of the largest Russian libraries — the Russian state library (RSL) and the Russian national library (RNB) — spoke about plans for the upcoming merge. Information about a possible merger appeared in the beginning of January, but details only became known during a press conference on Wednesday. The head of libraries recognized that the Union under discussion, but it is not known how it will be, and it “mass layoffs as the result of optimization is not”.
In January, the media reported the existence of the letter on behalf of the RSL and NLR to the Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev requesting to merge these libraries. The letter itself is in the public domain appeared. In early February, the acting CEO of the RSL Vladimir Gnezdilov told TASS that the Russian government has established a working group to examine the possibility of combining and “make recommendations”. At the same time, he said that the decision to merge libraries “no matter what level”.
Information about the merger caused a great public resonance
Thus, the legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg in mid-February addressed to the Minister of culture of Russia Vladimir Medinsky with a request “not to admit of a hasty decision on structural and administrative unification of the RSL and NLR without discussion and consideration of the views of leading experts and library community”. The appeal was supported by 49 of the 50 members of the legislative Assembly, who expressed concern about “the preservation of library system”. On the website Change.org posted a petition on behalf of “employees of institutions of science, culture and education in St. Petersburg, as well as all who care about RNB”, which expressed the opinion that it is necessary “to preserve the independence of the Russian national library as the oldest public library of Russia, having the status of especially valuable object of culture”.
On January 30, the President of the St. Petersburg society of library Zoya Chalova said that, according to unofficial sources from the library community, integration of libraries may lose their jobs for about 400 people. About it reported the Internet-the newspaper “Fontanka.ru”. Criticizing unions January 30, made and the main bibliographer of the NLR Tatyana Shumilova, who has worked at the institution since 1985. In early February, she received the order of dismissal in connection with a four-hour absence during the press conference.
“Let’s issue a letter”
On Wednesday, Mr. Gnezdilov the General Director of the NLR and Alexander Visly gave a press conference where, in particular, stated that public discussion of the draft merger “plan starts today”. Mr. Vislykh has also promised that the letter is an initiative of the heads of the RSL and NLR on the merger will be published on the websites of the institutions. After the event, journalists have received releases, which stated that “the Association of the RSL and NLR are long overdue and due to both the rapid development of information technology and complex economic and financial environment.” To control the process of Association it is proposed to form a Board of Trustees headed by President of Russian book Union Sergey Stepashin.
During the press conference Mr. Visly said that the result of the modernization of the library system should be a situation when the man came to the reading rooms, “will have the opportunity to apply to the whole contemporary knowledge”. From his point of view, this possibility should eventually appear in readers of all 40 thousand of Russian public libraries: “We with Vladimir Ivanovich (Russian Gnezdilova.— “B”) believe that we need to start with a series of steps, involving two national libraries”. So, you have created a single electronic catalogue, and “a person enrolled in the RSL, with an electronic library card will be able to order the book, and in the NLR”. He also explained that, together, RSL and NLR will be able to reduce the cost of subscription to foreign electronic resources. “There is an ancient wisdom: don’t rush to see bad, try to see first the good, — said Vladimir Gnezdilov.— With this purpose we came: to tell of all the good that awaits in principle, the library community, readers, users, researchers, and scientists — all who use information resources of libraries”.
The President of the Russian library Association Vladimir Firsov recalled that the new building for the NLR already completed on Moscow Avenue (near Pulkovo).
Readers, as in the city centre and Moskovsky prospect, will have equal access, one man to hold a paper copy and the other would sit by the monitor with the same book to peruse. We in St. Petersburg will be able to provide access to the electronic copy which is located in the walls of the Lenin library.
In his opinion, “to resolve this issue without the development of some forms of Association is impossible.”
Thus the question of when it can be completed the unification of the library, Alexander Visly, said that “it will take many years.” He also explained that the form of Association has not yet been determined: “there are different options of administrative, organizational. Moreover, these options do not always depend on us, we have the founder — the government of the Russian Federation”. According to him, it is possible that “everything stays as it is now — two legal entities, two libraries,” or there will be a single legal entity or in addition to existing there is a third structure. “I think you can call a fourth, and fifth options. But it is important to the achievement of goals how to do it — is a secondary issue”, — said Mr. Vislykh.
“Facilities necessary to serve their need, in the end, to remove”
Reduction of employees to achieve the goals is not assumed, assured the head of the NLR. “I also read Newspapers, wrote somewhere about 400 people waiting for the dismissal, — reminded Mr. Vislykh.— This year we commissioned the second phase of the building on Moskovsky prospect, it is 42 thousand square meters, we now have 115 thousand square meters is a huge amount of space”. He said that in these areas “people should work”: “Facilities necessary to serve their need, in the end, clean. We have no options of reducing staff. Under any circumstances. We can only recruit people this year and next.” Answering the question about the circumstances of the dismissal of MFN bibliographer Tatiana Shumilova, Alexander Visly noted that the library was staffed mostly by women — “mother and grandmother” who are regularly off, and brought the declarations and warning. Ms. Shumilova has not informed him personally about the circumstances of their absence from work, violating labor discipline, he said, adding that it can be reinstated.
Vladimir Gnezdilov also reminded that the RSL is “on the eve of the new building”: “on the other hand, processes optimization, improvement of organizational structure, organization of library technology cycles assume a certain release of workers. I don’t see anything wrong. This is a normal life, a normal procedure when there is an optimization”. However, he noted that “layoffs may not be considered”.
Valeria Mishina