Library (Greek from biblio - book and teka - storage place) - an institution that collects and stores printed and written works for public use, as well as carrying out reference and bibliographic work. Along with the library fund, the library has a library staff and appropriate MTB. A modern library guarantees open, timely and unhindered access to all documented information, promotes continuous education, cultural development, supports intellectual freedom, and contributes to the protection of democratic values ​​and civil rights. At present, microfiches, microfilms, audio and video cassettes, transparencies, optical media (for example, CD-ROM) are increasingly being distributed and included in the library collections.

Libraries are believed to have first appeared on ancient East. Usually the collection of clay tablets, approximately 2500 BC, is called the first library. e., found in the temple of the Babylonian city of Nippur. In one of the tombs near Egyptian Thebes, a box with papyri from the Second Intermediate Period (XVIII-XVII centuries BC) was discovered. In the era of the New Kingdom, Ramses II collected about 20,000 papyri. The most famous ancient Eastern library is a collection of cuneiform tablets from the palace of the Assyrian king of the 7th century BC. e. Ashurbanipal in Nineveh. The main part of the plates contains legal information. V ancient greece the first public library was founded in Heraclea by the tyrant Clearchus (4th century BC). largest center The library of Alexandria became ancient literature. It was created in the III century BC. e. Ptolemy I and was the center of education of the entire Hellenistic world. The Library of Alexandria was part of the Mouseĩon (museum) complex. The complex included living rooms, dining rooms, reading rooms, botanical and zoological gardens, an observatory and a library. Later, medical and astronomical instruments, stuffed animals, statues and busts were added to it, which were used for teaching. The Temple of the Museum included 200,000 papyri (almost all the libraries of antiquity were attached to the temples). The Museum School kept 700,000 documents. Museum and most of The Library of Alexandria was destroyed around 270 AD.

In the Middle Ages, the monastic libraries were the centers of literacy, in which scriptoria operated. Not only the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the Church Fathers were copied there, but also the works of ancient authors. During the Renaissance, Renaissance figures literally hunted for Greek and Latin texts preserved in monasteries. Due to the enormous cost of manuscripts and the laboriousness of their production, books were chained to library shelves. The advent of printing brought about enormous changes in the appearance and activities of libraries, which were now more and more different from archives. Library collections are beginning to grow rapidly. With the spread of literacy in modern times, the number of library visitors also grows.

The social functions of the library are a set of functions of the library as a social institution, reflecting the relationship between the library and society.

Ideas about the social functions of the library have changed historically. In the ancient world it was the "house of wisdom", "the house of science", in the Middle Ages it was a stronghold of religion. But at all times, the activity of the library as a book depository was of fundamental importance. To do this, the library forms a library fund, accumulating a document fund, and organizes the preservation of documents for their further use, thereby performing a memorial function. Providing access to accumulated human knowledge is the basis for performing an educational function (educational). The role of the information function is growing. The library performs a socializing function, providing free assimilation of knowledge, contributing to the full realization of the individual.

Along with the functions corresponding to the basic needs of the individual in library services, the library also performs functions related to the specific needs and interests of the individual. Among them are a recreational (entertainment) function, a hedonistic function (involving the library's participation in the formation of a person's aesthetic ideals, their enjoyment of reading), and a value-oriented function. These social functions of the library are closely interconnected and are characteristic of different libraries.

The prerequisites for the emergence of the library is mainly the need to preserve information. The library is a social institution and a cultural and educational institution. Modern Concepts development - electronic libraries on the Internet.

The library, being a relatively stable form of organization of social life, ensuring the stability of ties and relationships within society, with with good reason can be defined as social institution.

It is difficult to imagine any structure of society that could function without relying on the library. This explains the exceptionally wide variety of types of libraries that serve all socio-demographic strata of society without exception - from preschoolers to pensioners, representatives of all professions and occupations.

The social functions of the library are one of the most fundamental problems library theory and practice. In the literature, it is often referred to with the help of such concepts and expressions as "the public role of the library", "the social role of the library", "the social mission of the library", etc. The meaning of its study is that it helps to form an understanding of the library as a social institutions.

In the very general view the problem looks pretty simple. Essentially, it can be reduced to the impact of the library on society, accompanied by feedback- the impact of society on the library. However, this simplicity is deceptive. It disappears when the problem is considered more specifically. The library is included in almost all major areas of the universe of human activity: cognitive, transformative, communication, artistic, value-oriented. In her daily activities, she interacts in one way or another with almost everyone. well-known organizations and institutions created by mankind.

The problem of the social role of the library in this regard is a very complex system of relationships, the analysis of which is rather complicated. It is no coincidence that in different historical epochs it was solved in different ways. The process of formation of views in this area of ​​library science cannot be considered complete at the present time. In a sociological sense, a function is the role that a certain social institution performs in relation to the needs of the system more high level organizations. Therefore, regardless of the lexical form in which the concept of "function" is denoted in library science literature, the essence of the problem under consideration should be to clearly define: what exactly the library does for society, what duties society imposes on it, what tasks the library helps society solve . In other words, the social functions of a library are a generalized list of the library's obligations to society, which are dictated by it, necessary for it, directly or indirectly affect it, and correspond to the essence of the library as a social institution. In many countries of the world, including Russia, the description social functions libraries is of a normative nature and is expressed in legislative form.

Technological functions, unlike social ones, may not be felt by society, it may not be aware of their existence. They are a generalized reflection of "library production". Their knowledge and implementation is the responsibility of professional librarians. Not only the librarian should have an idea about social functions, but also - ideally - every member of society. Technological functions are formed under the influence of the internal needs of a rational library technology of work and prescriptions, which are social functions; social same - under the influence of the needs of society. In principle, the correlation of social and technological functions is a relation of subordination: technological functions take place only insofar as they serve the implementation of social ones. The great significance of the correct interpretation of the public purpose of the library at the present stage of informatization of society lies in the fact that it allows you to most accurately determine the main content, main directions and even the leading forms of library activity. This has not only intra-industry significance, but also universal: if information becomes almost as important in the life of society as material sources, its well-being should largely depend on how correctly it assesses the key role of the library and similar information institutions in its life. , progress and prosperity.

Essence, purpose and evolutionary development of the library as a social institution

There are many opinions in the world library science about the social functions of the library. They range from the desire for a clear statement and solution of the problem to the identification of social and technological.

The Russian concept of the social functions of the library

According to the Law of the Russian Federation "On librarianship" (1994), the library is "information, cultural, educational institution which has an organized fund of replicated documents and provides them for temporary use to individuals and legal entities.

Note that this definition should not be contrasted with the library definition above. Different formulations are due to different approaches in the same object: legislative and scientific. The first captures the current practice, the second - the results scientific research. The latter become the object of lawmaking only after they have become an element of social practice. Until they become one, they can and must be different from the law.

It follows from the Law that the library as a social institution has at least three social functions: informational, cultural, educational. In strictly scientifically in this list of functions there is no single basis for dividing the concept of "social role of the library". There is also an incomplete enumeration of functions. However, in purely practical terms, it should serve as a means of guiding the activities of the library, at least until a new, more advanced law in this respect is adopted.

Library information function is a set of types of its activities for information support of material and spiritual production and reproduction.

The implementation of the function is expressed as a process of meeting the information needs of library readers (physical and legal entities) due to the array of information accumulated in it, as well as other sources of information. As a rule, the library, in accordance with the request, provides the reader with information in the form of a publication (book, article, magazine, magnetic tape, floppy disk, compact optical disk, etc.). Until now, this kind of visible and tangible information has dominated most libraries, which is the reason for approaching them from a documentary point of view, although it is not entirely correct. A significant part of the work of the library in servicing readers is the issuance of bibliographic information, addresses of information, or information about information (bibliographic references, bibliographic manuals, catalog data, access codes to remote data banks, etc.). By performing this function, the library also provides the reader with information that is not directly related to the document (publication). Such, for example, are oral factual references containing chronological, biographical, statistical information, data on the parameters of various processes, characteristics of machines, apparatus, etc.

The forms of implementation of the function are quite diverse. However, all the diversity of the library's activities in its implementation can be reduced to the creation and distribution to the reader of a single type of product, namely the type that has recently been increasingly called an information product. Hence, the main result of the activity of any library is an information product, which in its content, form, quality and other characteristics must meet the reader's request.

By tradition, some library scientists reduce the content and scope of the understood "information function of a library" to operating with scientific and technical information, as a result of which it is concluded that this function is typical only for scientific, technical and other special libraries, as well as for bodies of scientific and technical information. However, this point of view suffers from an incomplete reflection of the real process. Of course, the provision of scientists, designers, engineers and other specialists of the national economy is very important in the system of library priorities. However, now the information function is understood incomparably broader. It is not limited to the task of providing information to science, technology, material production, accelerating scientific and technological progress, etc. After all, as can be concluded from the above, in all libraries, without exception, readers are given nothing more than information. It does not matter what kind of library it is - technical, children's, religious. It does not matter and the form of the issued information - a book, a magazine, a floppy disk, an oral message. The type (type, genre) of literature is not essential - fiction, children's, scientific, technical, reference. The information function is thus the general function of libraries.

The broad understanding of the information function of the library has not yet been universally accepted. One of the arguments directed against it is, for example, that awareness does not yet mean a high level of culture, education, and upbringing of the individual. However, it is artificial in nature and contains a typical logical fallacy called substitution of concepts. In reality, we should not be talking about opposing awareness and, say, education, but about the nature, content, form, direction of the information given to the reader: whether it contributes to raising the cultural level of readers, their education, upbringing or not. One of the tasks of the library is to select such information that would serve the specified purposes. Consequently, the modern interpretation of the information function is not in conflict with such values ​​as culture, education, upbringing.

The main requirement contained in the legislatively fixed norm on the information function is that libraries must ensure the rights of a person, public associations, peoples and ethnic communities to free, in no way limited access to information. As for the content, form, organization and other characteristics of the information provided, all this should be determined depending on specific conditions, such as the type (kind) of the library, the specifics of the contingent of readers, the nature of the individual needs of the reader, etc.

The peculiarity of the information function lies in the fact that in many cases it is implemented by the library in close cooperation with other libraries and bodies of scientific and technical information. It also takes into account other channels for the dissemination of information: television, radio, bookselling, etc.

Cultural Function of the Library is a set of types of her work aimed at free spiritual development readers, familiarization with the values ​​of national and world culture, creation of conditions for cultural (reproductive and productive) activities.

Being an integral and organic part of culture, itself acting as the greatest value of human culture, the library at the same time is one of the most important factors in cultural development, distribution, renewal and increment of the cultural heritage of countries and peoples. The library does not create any value that goes beyond its functional purpose. Its main social mission is expressed in the fact that it plays an indispensable providing, namely informational role in relation to the institution of culture in general, to the culture of each specific reader. A library can be likened to a two-way street: in one direction, through the efforts of librarians, information about the existing achievements of culture flows to readers, in the other, information about newly created cultural values ​​moves.

To illustrate the role of the modern library in the spiritual life of society, it suffices to say that if in ancient times great works could be created without any connection with librarianship, then now they are practically impossible without the closest association of creative thought with the "memory" of mankind, concentrated in libraries. Modern writers, directors, artists, representatives of other creative professions at certain stages of creativity cannot do without sources of information provided by the library. Of course, this is not the only, but an important condition for creativity.

The role of the library in the cultural and reproductive activity of man is especially great. Libraries have been and remain the most widespread public centers of culture, forming the most extensive, most accessible network of channels for bringing information about culture to the broadest sections of the population. There are more than 1 million libraries in the world with a fund of over 6 billion items. No other cultural institution can be compared with libraries in this respect. They are also incomparable in terms of the scale of the audience they serve, except for television.

Acting as a powerful and at the same time very sensitive instrument of cultural and reproductive activity of people, the library contributes to the development of the general culture of readers, introduces them to the most important achievements of national and world culture, introduces norms, traditions, cultural achievements into their consciousness, life, way of life. It is indicative that there is an undeniable connection between the culture of the population and the number of libraries, the quality of their collections, and the organization of their work. It is no coincidence that one can judge the level of culture of one or another country by the organization of librarianship.

Libraries are a universal means of developing culture and promoting its achievements. They cover all documented cultural heritage. They are generally available to the entire population. In promoting the treasury of culture, they, unlike many other cultural institutions, are able to reach every person, because their activity is based on an individual approach to each specific person.

Finally, libraries are the custodians of the cultural heritage of all mankind, individual peoples, countries. Their funds contain information about the culture of the past and the present. And such libraries as national ones (RSL, RNL) are called upon to forever store this information in the form of printed works.

One of the most important activities of the library as a socio-cultural center is the dissemination and enhancement of information (or library-bibliographic and information) culture, which, along with computer literacy, is increasingly becoming one of the most important conditions for the functioning of a person as a full-fledged member of modern and future society.

Being an organic element of culture, the library, as a rule, performs the function in question in the closest relationship with other cultural institutions: clubs, theaters, museums, art galleries, etc. At one time, this led to the idea of ​​creating local cultural complexes that unite all institutions the culture of a district or a fairly large settlement, which, in its fundamental essence, has retained its significance to this day.

The cultural function of the library is realized through the use of the most diverse forms of activity; from the direct issuance of publications to the organization of various amateur associations, interest clubs, etc. However, the main content of this function remains unchanged. It lies in the fact that the maximum number of readers mastered the spiritual values ​​of culture, imbued with the high ideals of progressive world culture, freed themselves from spiritual lack of freedom and embarked on such a path of development that ultimately leads to the formation of a harmonious, comprehensively developed personality - the ideal of ideas about a person. in which everything is perfect: thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The educational function of the library- this is a set of activities of the library, aimed at providing information for the spiritual reproduction of society, which includes the socialization of members of society, their education and self-education, upbringing and self-education.

The library plays a very important role in the process of socialization of the individual. Along with other institutions, it carries out work that is very serious in its consequences, helping the individual, through sources of information, to assimilate those values ​​and norms that are characteristic of a given social formation or social structure. It has a number of tangible advantages over some other institutions involved in the process of socialization. So, for example, her participation in this process has no time and availability restrictions. An individual who uses the library all his life, during this time remains, realizing it or not realizing it, the object of socialization. The library is a long-term institution of socialization, constantly operating during the period when a person is among its readers.

Another valuable quality of the library is that this process in the library is carried out not at the level of a large group, mass, but, as a rule, at the individual level. Hence the higher efficiency of the library as an institution of socialization in comparison with, say, television.

The main task of the library is to focus efforts on the formation of a person - a creator, an active subject public life, the owner as a general human values, and the norms prescribed to it by the concrete historical conditions of existence.

An increasingly important role belongs to libraries in the implementation of the tasks of education and self-education. Since educational processes are based on the demonstration and assimilation of the demonstrated knowledge, it is quite clear that libraries, as the main repositories and sources of information accumulated by mankind, act as the most important component of the entire system of education and education. and self-education. Effective implementation of educational processes is unthinkable without the use of the library as their information basis.

The most complete educational function is performed educational libraries. Reflecting recognition of their fundamental role in educational process- the concept of "library-college", which arose several decades ago. According to the concept, the library educational institution- the main educational unit on the basis of which the entire academic work. Of course, this concept does not detract from the importance of the teacher. She focuses on such an important factor in the education of the 20th century as the information factor. Children's, youth, public (mass) and other libraries are closest to fulfilling this function.

According to universal recognition, established back in the 19th century, the library is not only a tool formal education but also one of the most effective continuing education And self-education. The general mission of libraries is that they provide compensation for the gap in people's knowledge, constantly feeding them with information about the latest achievements of science, technology, and culture. That is why it is customary to consider libraries as the main base for continuous education and self-education, which should last a lifetime.

The positions of world library science on the issue of the educational role of libraries are far from unambiguous. There is a strong opinion in Russia that the ability of a library to have an educational impact on a person is its objective quality. In a democratic society, the library actively contributes to the comprehensive, harmonious development of its members, education in the spirit of universal values, promotion of the ideas of true democracy, the assertion of human rights and intellectual freedom. At the same time, it opposes the ideas of war, totalitarianism, racial, national, religious, social discrimination.

Thus, according to the Law "On librarianship", the library performs three main social functions. The intensity of their manifestation varies significantly depending on the type of library, the content of the collections, the composition of readers and a number of other factors.

At the same time, there is an opinion that the library also has some other functions that should be considered as additional in comparison with what is listed in the Law. Libraries can perform the above-mentioned recreational and hedonic functions, as well as the function of organizing mass reading. However, not all libraries are capable of this. So, for example, some libraries are not able to fulfill the first, since the work of the reader in them is not a vacation, but a serious and difficult work with information sources; the second can be performed only by those libraries, the content and form of functioning of which can serve as a source of aesthetic satisfaction; finally, the third may be inherent mainly in public (mass) libraries, because the task of organizing mass reading may not be set for a special library, since the contingent of its readers is often limited to employees of the enterprise, organization, firm, research institute it serves. Therefore, it is more correct to consider the listed additional functions as typological ones, i.e., such functions that are characteristic of specific types (kinds) of libraries, and not of a library in general.

In conclusion, we note that what has been said about the social functions of the library is of fundamental importance for the orientation of the activities of any library. The library does not exist by itself and not for itself. Its existence is justified and conditioned only by how effectively it performs the social functions assigned to it. Therefore, all its activities should be subordinated to one common and global goal, namely, the optimal information support for the life of society as a whole and each reader individually.

In a democratic society, the implementation of the social functions of a library should be built in such a way that every citizen, regardless of gender, age, nationality, education, political beliefs, attitude to religion and other socio-demographic characteristics, has an equal right to free, unrestricted access to information. At the same time, no state or other censorship restricting this access is allowed. The content of the library's activities should reflect the ideological and political diversity that exists in society.

Only if these conditions are met, the library can become a truly democratic tool of society, a guarantor of human rights to intellectual freedom, free access to information, free spiritual development, familiarization with the values ​​of national and world culture, cultural, scientific and educational activities. This is what the main content of the Law of the Russian Federation "On librarianship" aims at.

Changing the social role and social functions of the library depending on the changing society

Initially, there were views that main function libraries consisted of storing books and other documents. Hence the ancient Greek name of the library: bibliotheke (gr. biblion - book, theke - storage), i.e. book depository. Subsequently, they have undergone such profound changes that nowhere in the world the concept of "library" is not reduced to a book depository.

Particularly intensive ideas about the social functions of the library developed in the second half of the 20th century, which is associated with the growing role of the information factor in the life of mankind. For many decades, domestic library science was dominated by the concept that the public role of the library was reduced to the performance of such four functions as: ideological and educational (ideological), cultural and educational, informational, hedonic (hedone - enjoyment).

Nowadays, in connection with the de-ideologization of library theory and practice, it has lost its significance in terms of ideological and educational work.

In foreign library science, it is quite common to believe that the library performs such functions as: informational, cultural, recreational (lat. Recreatio - restoration), i.e., contributing to the restoration of a person's intellectual powers expended in the labor process. The unity of most current concepts of the social role of the library lies in the fact that explicitly or implicitly, to a greater or lesser extent, attention is focused on the information function of the library, although there are other signs of commonality.

The modern era is characterized by the new role of information that previously came to a person through books, magazines and other printed materials, and now through audio and video recordings, microfilms, laser discs, CD-ROMs and the Internet. Information predetermines the quality of life, both for individuals and for entire communities. Information is a vital necessity, but when it comes in in an excessive and irregular fashion, it becomes a destructive force. Is this trend of world information development correct for our country? Yes and no. On the one hand, we are becoming more and more open to all kinds of information flows, on the other hand, we feel limited opportunities in the development of the information space due to economic problems. Be that as it may, the general trend of a comprehensive multiplication of information is the same.

With such a development of events, we will encounter and are already encountering a state of human anxiety with a huge variety of information resources. And only one group of people realizes the importance of this problem. It was librarians who from time immemorial were engaged in collecting, organizing and disseminating recorded knowledge. Few professions are devoted to the noble idea of ​​assisting man in his search for knowledge and information. The main goal of libraries was and is to meet the information needs of society. In order to follow the ever-increasing information needs in modern conditions, in order to be in demand by society, libraries can and should develop their informational resources and services. The role of libraries also acquires a social meaning when we talk about this historically established democratic institution, which, as a rule, provides free access to information for any citizen, regardless of his position in society.

The modern world impresses with the abundance and variety of information channels, the dominance of electronic and computer technology everything becomes obvious. Librarians and libraries, in fulfilling their mission as disseminators of information and knowledge, must understand and develop these resources.

The development of electronic information technologies leads to the need to develop fundamental solutions that will give impetus to the improvement of the information infrastructure. Business and industry, communications (cable and telephone companies), database manufacturers, the federal government, the military, libraries, scientists, academic institutions, and ordinary citizens are all affected by and connected to this infrastructure. It is necessary to solve such issues as open access to information, protection of copyright, and at the same time, protection of the civil right to access to copyright information, information security, the right to private information, the price of information access. The solution of these issues is especially important for libraries as institutions that reflect the public interest in information, plays a special role in the information policy of the society.

INTRODUCTION

1. Library as a social institution

2. The New Role of Libraries in the Information Infrastructure of Society

CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

The library is one of the oldest cultural institutions. Over a long period of human history, its social functions have undergone significant changes. The purpose of the first libraries was to store documents. From the time of its inception to the present day, the library has passed the first stage of the evolution of the public mission: from serving the needs of the ruling elite to meeting public needs. The library has become a social institution that includes information and cultural components and ensures the stability of ties and relationships within society.

The peculiarity of the modern era lies in the fact that it is the scene of two revolutions at once, mental and technological: the first is associated with the process of globalization and the formation of a new cultural paradigm, the second with the consequences of a technological explosion in the field of communications. The ongoing social transformations affect libraries so decisively that they not only change the entire system of library work and library resources, but also for the first time raise the question of the “boundaries” of the library space and the very foundations of the existence of traditional libraries and their functions. The change in the role and purpose of libraries is reflected in the relationship of the library with society and individual social institutions, leading to the transformation of professional values ​​of library ethics, professional consciousness of the library community.

All these phenomena required the search for new models of library development that ensure the viability of the library as a social institution necessary for society in the context of building an open knowledge society.

In this paper, we will consider the issue of the significance and role of libraries in modern society.

In the modern social structure, there is a growing need for the institutionalization of communicative activity, which can induce, on the one hand, to personal self-determination (individual attitude to state and humanistic educational problems), on the other hand, to the formation of public opinion, cultural policy aimed at identifying true interests and human needs. Modern society needs to develop and use methods of non-technical implementation creativity people, their spiritual potential, the implementation of "collective interests" and "collective ideas" about enduring human values: freedom, democracy, civil and political rights, social contract, justice of the social order, etc.

Social institutions must ensure the development of such cultural and educational work, the results of which will ultimately determine new models of social action.

The library, being a relatively stable form of organizing social life, ensuring the stability of ties and relationships within society, can rightfully be defined as a social institution.

It is difficult to imagine any structure of society that could function without relying on the library. This explains the exceptionally wide variety of types of libraries that serve all socio-demographic strata of society without exception - from preschoolers to pensioners, representatives of all professions and occupations.

The term "library" comes from the Greek word "bibliothēkē", where "biblion" means "book" and "thēkē" means "repository". Its content was interpreted by representatives of different schools and epochs far from unambiguously and changed along with the change in ideas about the place and role of the library in the life of society. V different languages this word means the same thing: a book house, a book warehouse, a book depository, a house for books, etc., and reflects the most ancient idea of ​​the essence and social purpose of a library: the preservation of books.

The purpose of the first libraries and their first mission was to store documented knowledge. The first libraries were treasury repositories for the most part of a closed type, since the collections of books that existed in them had a material and valuable value. Since the 19th century, its mission has been replenished with a new purpose - the enlightenment of the people. As human society developed, the process of institutionalization of the library took place: by the middle of the 20th century, it had turned into an integrative social institution, including informational and cultural components. Scientific, technical, environmental, cultural changes, global crisis phenomena of the XX century led to the further evolution of the library.

The application of the phenomenological approach makes it possible to identify the socio-cultural changes taking place with the library in the context of building a knowledge society. In the very general meaning this approach is a methodological position, a descriptive method that allows you to draw an object through direct knowledge, “direct perception of the truth in the values ​​of a “concrete life”.

An analysis of practice allows us to conclude that the modern mission of libraries is dictated by the increasing importance of information and knowledge as a catalyst for social development. It has several aspects:

· promoting the circulation and development of the knowledge accumulated by mankind by providing free access to it;

· preservation of documented knowledge as a public domain.

The mission of the library is implemented in specific social functions, so its transformation has led to a change in the social functions of the library. The social functions of the library are a generalized list of the library's obligations to society, which are dictated by it, necessary for it, directly or indirectly affect it and correspond to the essence of the library as a social institution.

Social (external) functions, which are the library's response to the needs of society, a way of interacting with the external environment, are considered as a means of adapting an element to the system more high order. “They contribute to the resolution of contradictions with the environment, serve as a means of adaptation to it. In the course of this resolution, any social system not only reproduces itself as a whole, but also constantly develops, and this is precisely the essence of the functioning of the library as a social institution.

The social functions of a modern library are determined by its essential features as a cultural institution, which are manifested in the preservation and transmission of documented knowledge that ensures sustainable social development, including social norms and cultural values ​​that stabilize society. However, they are dynamic in nature: the degree of their development and filling with specific content, the priority of some of them in specific historical periods times are different. Without changing the name, the functions change their content depending on what social role society assigns to them. These functions are memorial, communication, information, educational, socializing and cultural.

The memorial function is a generic library function. The collection and storage of documents that record the knowledge accumulated by mankind, samples and values ​​of world, national and local culture has been and remains the social purpose of the library. The library stores public knowledge, objectified in specific documents as the primary elements of information and knowledge resources, which, in turn, are elements of the modern information space.

In the funds of many modern libraries, in addition to books, works of art are stored: paintings and engravings, posters and postcards, gramophone records, cassettes and disks with recordings of works of literature, music and cinema. Rare and valuable handwritten and printed books, which are the pride of library collections - book monuments are objects of cultural heritage. Unique collections of regional and national libraries different countries of the world are also among the objects of cultural heritage.

Collecting and preserving documentary sources that recorded the spiritual achievements of human civilization, examples of social practices, the library is the embodiment of the "memory of mankind". Providing continuous quantitative accumulation of information, the library serves as a guarantor of the emergence of new qualities of social memory.

The library allows society to maintain the necessary margin of safety during man-made accidents and social upheavals, in order to restore production, social relations and reach a new level after a certain time. new level social development. Thus, the library ensures the sustainability of public life.

At the same time, the library does not turn into an archive or a warehouse of disparate information. Carrying out the systematization, storage and dissemination of cultural heritage, it organizes navigation in the world of culture, in the world of information and knowledge.

The peculiarity of the implementation of the memorial function is that the library preserves knowledge and culture in the most convenient form for perception, distribution and use. Any library not only takes care of the safety of documents, but also provides access to them. The modern library solves this contradictory task by creating metadata, exposing its collections, transferring the stored documented knowledge to other formats and media.

As part of the memorial function, the modern library collects and stores electronic documents. In a situation of uncontrolled and uncontrolled flow of unsystematized information, especially electronic information, it acts as an institution that ensures the preservation and circulation of knowledge, guaranteeing compliance with long-term standards of electronic publications and maintaining the stability of the electronic environment. The library becomes the basic structural component of the virtual environment, which has stability, unambiguous identification, provides legal regulation regarding the access to information resources.

The implementation of the memorial function is subordinated to the implementation of the communicative function by the library. As part of the communication function, the library organizes the interaction of a person with the social memory of all mankind, transferring to him for use all the public cultural heritage accumulated by civilization. The library is included in a complex system of social communication, "ensuring the creation, processing, storage and distribution of documented texts for public use."

A modern library creates opportunities for members of society to satisfy their information and knowledge needs through a set of documents accumulated in the funds, as well as to use the information resources of other libraries and institutions for these purposes. At the same time, it should be noted that the information needs of users can be of the most diverse nature and relate to different areas. professional activity as well as everyday life.

By organizing access to the knowledge necessary for various activities, the library thereby contributes to the growth of the material well-being of society. The information and knowledge resources of libraries are the basis for the development of philosophical, ideological, religious, political currents; with their help, various trends in culture and art are formed and developed. By providing a variety of information to its users, the library contributes to the regulation of the actions of members of society within the existing social relations. By facilitating a variety of human activities, the library ensures the integration of human aspirations, actions and interests.

Organizing access to documents that store the standards of human values ​​that ensure the sustainable development of society, its humanistic nature, the library contributes to the formation of the value system of society as a whole and the individual in particular.

The desire of the modern library to provide equal and free access to socially significant information and knowledge contributes to the establishment of social justice, reducing social tension in society. Expanding the availability of information enhances the role of libraries as a stabilizing social factor that ensures social security, social sustainability of social development, equalizes the possibilities for the production and consumption of information by different categories of the population.

The modern library aims to satisfy the real problems and requests of its users. Modern library services are focused on the individual, his dynamically changing needs, based on equal cooperation between a library specialist and a user.

Modern library practice has accumulated a rich arsenal of forms and methods individual work with users and meet their needs. Being a specific social institution, the library focuses on the values ​​of each of its real and potential users, becomes a translator of these values ​​for other individuals, social groups and humanity as a whole.

The modern library emphasizes the principle of equality for all users. Of particular importance in this respect is the activity public libraries preserving and transmitting cultural heritage to all, regardless of age, social status, race, nationality, religion, place of residence, gender, language and other differentiating features. It contributes not to the division, but to the consolidation of society, provides users with a starting minimum of information so that they can navigate in society and adapt to it. Thus, it softens social conflicts, contribute to the all-round development of users.

The library plays an important role as a public "place". It not only allows people to enter into informal contacts, provides an opportunity for comfortable communication with other people, but also becomes a “recreation corner” where you can hide from the pressure of the technological world. In this case, the library performs the social function of the “third place”, i.e. a place where a person feels protected (it is assumed that the first two such places are home and work).

The modern library is an institution for the consolidation of society. By providing opportunities for holding public meetings, organizing access to existing information networks, allowing every citizen to interact with the means mass media, local and federal authorities, social services, state and private enterprises, the library creates conditions for virtual and real collective communications. The library becomes the center of social life, "a meaningful element of the socio-cultural infrastructure."

The communication function is closely intertwined with the information function, which involves the very process of transmitting information, i.e., the process of communication. At the same time, the concept of "communication" in the context of considering the institutional qualities of the library serves to a greater extent to determine the principles social interaction rather than how it is organized. At the same time, the information function accompanies all processes related to accessing the content of a document, permeates all elements of library work, since any action that includes working with documents at the level of its content, semantics, involves highlighting its meaning, creating transformed information, metaknowledge.

Technical and technological modernization ensured the strengthening of the information function of the modern library. The library becomes a full-fledged subject of the information space. It collects and stores documented information and knowledge, participates in the formation of the documentary flow and conducts its analytical and synthetic processing, systematizes and evaluates information and knowledge resources. Carrying out the systematization and cataloging of documents, reference and bibliographic services, the library creates the basis for many modern information and knowledge processes.

The peculiarity of the information function of a modern library is that it is implemented by it in close cooperation with other subjects. information process, using various channels of information dissemination. The library is actively involved in the assessment, interpretation and filtering of information, in establishing certain links between information arrays in order to provide users with access to a wide range of sources of knowledge and socially significant information.

Until recently, the library was determined by the physical space it occupies, the documentary funds it has, and the circle of people involved in it. The document collections were organized in the library space in such a way that the user could easily locate a particular storage unit, although this gave rise to certain inconveniences associated with thematic or other principles of storage organization. The researcher had to know the library well, "get used to it" in order to take full advantage of its complex hierarchical structure.

The modern paradigm of library services is based not only on the use of the collection of documents of a particular library, it involves the use of fundamentally new opportunities for accessing information, regardless of the time and location of both the document and the user. To meet the information, educational, cultural needs of its users, the library makes available documented knowledge and information not only stored in its collection or on the hard drives of its servers.

The modern library destroys its physical boundaries, moves from the real space to the virtual one. On the one hand, it offers access to information resources belonging to other subjects of the information space, including those presented on the Internet. On the other hand, it creates electronic information resources (databases, collections of digitized documents, websites and web portals) available outside its physical walls. Finally, the library provides virtual services for finding information and necessary knowledge.

Library virtualization occurs with the active development of network interaction between libraries. The history of the creation of library networks spans decades. In Russia, the first networks of libraries appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. The most striking examples of library networks are centralized library networks, formed in the late 70s of the twentieth century on the principles of administrative command management, and the interlibrary loan system. The system of methodological guidance and intrasystem book exchange was based on the principles of network interaction, the activities of territorial library associations, interdepartmental library commissions were carried out.

One of the classics of the theory of library network interaction J. Becker gave the following definition of a library network. It is a formal union "... of two or more libraries for the exchange of information based on common standards and with the help of communication tools, while pursuing functionally interrelated goals."

Today, in the changed socio-economic conditions, a huge number of library networks are being created and operate, built on the principles of voluntary and active participation, the establishment of mutually beneficial and partnership relations. The goals of library interaction are the creation, accumulation and use of documented knowledge and socially significant information.

In the context of the growing intensity of the information and knowledge flow, the expansion of the availability of its constituent resources, the implementation of communication and information functions is impossible without the development of the cognitive activity of a modern library, which previously had an auxiliary character. The library is no longer a passive information intermediary, it is turning into one of the most productive and massive knowledge management systems.

It has such attributes of the sphere of knowledge as constant structuring, changing contexts, filtering and target thematization, translation and processing. The library provides ample opportunities for accessing the collective memory, removing the opposition of external and internal knowledge. The library creates special "meta-tools" with the help of which it manages knowledge arrays. Among them are systems of cataloging and classification, bibliography, methods of monitoring the knowledge needs of individual users, social groups, and society as a whole. By systematizing knowledge, highlighting its fragmentary and global levels, the library provides objectivity and depth of knowledge of the surrounding world. The development of the cognitive function of the library is the key to the demand for the social institution of the library in the knowledge society.

The modern library overcomes the boundaries of information and communication functions and takes on the role of another communication institution - the institution of education. The educational function of the library includes a set of activities aimed at ensuring the spiritual reproduction of society. The modern library participates in the process of education both in a broad sense (transmitting cultural norms and values ​​to current and future generations) and in a narrow sense (providing information support for an individual's education). Providing the unity of general (general cultural) and special (professional) education, the library contributes to the formation of a socially competent person. “Such a person adequately perceives the intended purpose of social institutions and trends in their development. It is capable of mastering developing technologies in the system of organization and management, i.e. capable of being a conscious subject of social processes.

Performing an educational function, the library has always been one of the universal ways of learning. Universality is expressed in the stratification of social needs and levels of cognitive tasks solved by the library, for example: the initial elimination of illiteracy in general or in some particular field of knowledge, self-education or research work, etc.

Without referring to already known texts, knowledge in general in any science, art, religion is practically impossible. After all, it is only by identifying the corresponding differences that it is possible to separate the elements of new knowledge from the old, known. The library mediates the appeal of the cognizing reader to the texts of another culture, language, history, society.

In addition, the library is associated with the knowledge of the production of a new text, discourse. From this point of view, it becomes an instrument of "cultural creativity": it teaches the search for and creation of new meanings. In this situation, the text is “a methodological field… existing in the movement of discourse”, crossing other works, a field… permeated with quotations, references, echoes, the language of culture”.

The library provides compensation for the gap in people's knowledge, constantly feeding them with information about the latest achievements of science, technology, and culture. That is why it is customary to consider libraries as the main base for continuous education and self-education.

The modern library makes an important contribution to the dissemination and enhancement of information culture, which, along with computer literacy, is becoming one of the most important conditions for human activity as a full-fledged member of modern and future society. The productivity of cognition largely depends on the skills of subject differentiation and concretization of knowledge by library means, including systematization. With the introduction of modern information technologies, the task of teaching users to understand and apply knowledge management methods, “filter” information, make their own individual critical choices becomes even more relevant, since most of them are not ready to work independently in an electronic information environment.

Activities aimed at the free spiritual development of readers, familiarization with the values ​​of national and world culture, creating conditions for cultural (reproductive and productive) activities constitute the cultural function of the library.

Being an integral and organic part of culture, acting as the greatest value of human culture, the library at the same time is one of the most important factors in cultural development, distribution, renewal and increment of the cultural heritage of countries and peoples. The role of the library is especially great in the cultural and reproductive activity of a person, ensuring the continuity of the world cultural heritage.

As a powerful and at the same time sensitive instrument of cultural and reproductive activities of people, the library contributes to the development of a common culture of users, introduces them to the most important achievements of national and world culture, introduces norms, traditions, cultural achievements into their consciousness, life, way of life.

The cultural function traditionally inherent in libraries in modern society is enhanced due to the greater (in the context of globalization) desire of each person and each community to self-identify and promote their own culture.

The library, through reading, contributes to the formation of a person as a cultural, educated personality, since it has the unique properties of creating an atmosphere of intellectual, moral, aesthetic quests and experiences under the influence of reading.

The library contributes to "the inclusion of a particular person in culture, acting as its repeater (through the spiritual values ​​fixed in information sources)". This expresses its socializing function.

It should be noted that the library has a number of tangible advantages over some other social institutions involved in the process of socialization: its participation in this process has no restrictions on time and accessibility. The individual, realizing it or not realizing it, remains the object of socialization during the entire period while he visits libraries.

2. The New Role of Libraries in the Information Infrastructure of Society

The modern era is characterized by the new role of information that previously came to a person through books, magazines and other printed materials, and now through audio and video recordings, microfilms, laser discs, CD-ROMs and the Internet. Information predetermines the quality of life, both for individuals and for entire communities. Information is a vital necessity, but when it comes in in an excessive and irregular fashion, it becomes a destructive force. Is this trend of world information development correct for our country? Yes and no. On the one hand, we are becoming more and more open to all kinds of information flows, on the other hand, we feel limited opportunities in the development of the information space due to economic problems. Be that as it may, the general trend of a comprehensive multiplication of information is the same.

With such a development of events, we will encounter and are already encountering a state of human anxiety with a huge variety of information resources. And only one group of people realizes the importance of this problem. It was librarians who from time immemorial were engaged in collecting, organizing and disseminating recorded knowledge. Few professions are devoted to the noble idea of ​​assisting man in his search for knowledge and information. The main goal of libraries was and is to meet the information needs of society. In order to follow the ever-increasing information needs in modern conditions, in order to be in demand by society, libraries can and should develop their information resources and services. The role of libraries also acquires a social meaning when we talk about this historically established democratic institution, which, as a rule, provides free access to information for any citizen, regardless of his position in society.

Our country already has a fairly complex and developed information infrastructure, and libraries are an integral and essential part of it. Libraries, developing within this infrastructure, must comply with it and adapt to it. Scheme 1. will help to visually see the place of libraries in the information infrastructure as part of the information cycle from its creation to its use.

Diagram 1 View of the information structure as part of the information cycle

Creators	Products	Distributors	Distributors	Consumers
	Books Magazines CD-ROM Databases Web pages	Publishers Merchants ISPs	Schools Libraries Universities Museums Business Government Agencies	Individuals Researchers Students Employees/workers Employers

From this diagram, it can be seen that the information infrastructure consists of institutions and individuals included in the dynamic process of creating, disseminating and using information in society. We see that the library is involved in the distribution process and is an intermediary between the user and the information created. It should be noted that the library is present in every process of this cycle. So the organization of collections is influenced by the creators of information, librarians also have to organize the provision of information products, they negotiate with the sellers of information and are directly related to the consumers of information.

There is another way of viewing the information infrastructure through the representation of a variety of communication networks serving such information transmission channels as telephone lines, automated information systems, cable television and the Internet (Scheme 2).

Scheme 2

Main types of networks and services in information infrastructure

1. Internet 2. State. Switched Telephone Network 3. State Data Networks 4. Cellular telephone networks 5. Commercial Satellite Networks 6. Radio networks 7. Television Networks 8. Cable TV networks

1. Direct Satellite Link 2. Information Centers 3. Publishing Organizations 4. Cultural and entertainment Inform. Services 5. Financial Inform. Networks & Services 6. Government Inform. networks 7. Transport Inform. networks 8. Public safety networks

Looking at infrastructure from this perspective reveals the extent to which libraries are involved in information systems widest coverage. Libraries are deeply interested in attracting as many information networks and services as possible to their environment, as through the mediation of libraries, an additional amount of information will become more accessible to the public. In this regard, libraries attach invaluable importance to the Internet, the information capacity of which makes it possible to combine many information networks and systems at the national and international level. Librarians interact with the information infrastructure in another way. That is, they must be versed in numerous technical means that make the transmission and processing of information possible and efficient. These include scanners, computers, telephones, faxes, CDs, video and audio equipment, radio, cable, telegraph, satellite communications, fiber optic communications, televisions, monitors, printers, cameras, etc.

The modern world impresses with the abundance and variety of information channels, the dominance of electronic and computer technology is becoming increasingly obvious. Librarians and libraries, in fulfilling their mission as disseminators of information and knowledge, must understand and develop these resources.

The development of electronic information technologies leads to the need to develop fundamental solutions that will give impetus to the improvement of the information infrastructure. Business and industry, communications (cable and telephone companies), database manufacturers, the federal government, the military, libraries, scientists, academic institutions, and ordinary citizens are all affected by and connected to this infrastructure. It is necessary to solve such issues as open access to information, protection of copyright, and at the same time, protection of the civil right to access to copyright information, information security, the right to private information, the price of information access. The solution of these issues is especially important for libraries as institutions that reflect the public interest in information, plays a special role in the information policy of the society.

CONCLUSION

The modern library is an adaptive multifunctional, open cultural and civilizational institution. It collects, organizes and preserves documented knowledge, guaranteeing the sustainability of social life in the event of social upheavals. Organizing access to the accumulated information and knowledge resources, providing navigation in them, it forms and satisfies the information, educational and cultural needs of individuals, ensuring the integration of their aspirations, actions and interests, as well as the sustainable development of human society. The modern library transmits cultural norms and values ​​from generation to generation, contributing to the social adaptation and socialization of individuals throughout life. It becomes not only an active participant in information production, but also a necessary tool for knowledge management.

The library is one of the basic (initial) structures of each society, therefore, changes in it affect the library directly, and its public mission is determined by the nature of the development of civilization. Through the mission, the library is connected both with the situation of a particular society and with the world cultural process as a whole, it reflects the stages of the spiritual quest of mankind.

The changes taking place in modern society lead to the transformation of the social functions of the library. Its traditional functions (memorial, communication, information, educational and cultural) have been enriched with new content, and the possibilities for their implementation have expanded. Of particular relevance and development are such functions of the library as communicative and cognitive, providing the possibility of the cognitive process, the continuity of cultural development and the use of the public cultural heritage of mankind.

LIST OF USED LITERATURE

1. Akilina, M.I. Public Libraries: Renewal Trends // Bibliotekovedenie. - 2001. - No. 2.

2. Volodin, B.F. The Scientific Library in the Context of Scientific, Educational and Cultural Policy: The Historical Experience of Germany. - St. Petersburg, 2002.

3. Goncharov, S.3. Axiological and creative-anthropological foundations of education // Economy and culture: interuniversity. Sat. - Yekaterinburg, 2003.

4. Kartashov, N.S. General librarianship. - Part 2. - M., 1997.

5. Matlina, S.G. Notes on the margins of "Philosophical Articles" in the journal "Library Science" // Bibliotekovedenie. - 1996. - No. 4/5.

6. Network interaction of libraries: materials of international. conf. - SPb., 2000.

7. Fedoreeva, L.V. Library as a social institution in the period of social transformation: On the example of the formation of a regional information and library center in the Khabarovsk Territory: dis. cand. sociological Sciences: 22.00.04. - Khabarovsk, 2005.

8. Firsov, V.R. Essential Functions of Library Activity: Cultural Approach // Scientific and Technical Libraries. - 1985. - No. 5.

9. Tsareva, R.N. The role and place of the library in the value system of civil society // RBA Newsletter. - 2005. - No. 36.

Fedoreeva, L.V. Library as a social institution in the period of social transformation: On the example of the formation of a regional information and library center in the Khabarovsk Territory: dis. cand. sociological Sciences: 22.00.04. - Khabarovsk, 2005.

Akilina, M.I. Public Libraries: Renewal Trends // Bibliotekovedenie. - 2001. - No. 2. - S. 17.

Goncharov, S.3. Axiological and creative-anthropological foundations of education // Economy and culture: interuniversity. Sat. - Ekaterinburg, 2003. - S. 255-275.

Matlina, S.G. Notes on the margins of "Philosophical Articles" in the journal "Library Science" // Bibliotekovedenie. - 1996. - No. 4/5. - S. 102.

INTRODUCTION

1. Library as a social institution

2. The new role of libraries in the information infrastructure of society

CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

The library is one of the oldest cultural institutions. Over a long period of human history, its social functions have undergone significant changes. The purpose of the first libraries was to store documents. From the time of its inception to the present day, the library has passed the first stage of the evolution of the public mission: from serving the needs of the ruling elite to meeting public needs. The library has become a social institution that includes information and cultural components and ensures the stability of ties and relationships within society.

The peculiarity of the modern era lies in the fact that it is the scene of two revolutions at once, mental and technological: the first is associated with the process of globalization and the formation of a new cultural paradigm, the second with the consequences of a technological explosion in the field of communications. The ongoing social transformations affect libraries so decisively that they not only change the entire system of library work and library resources, but also for the first time raise the question of the “boundaries” of the library space and the very foundations of the existence of traditional libraries and their functions. The change in the role and purpose of libraries is reflected in the relationship of the library with society and individual social institutions, leading to the transformation of professional values ​​of library ethics, professional consciousness of the library community.

All these phenomena required the search for new models of library development that ensure the viability of the library as a social institution necessary for society in the context of building an open knowledge society.

In this paper, we will consider the issue of the significance and role of libraries in modern society.

In the modern social structure, there is a growing need for the institutionalization of communicative activity, which can induce, on the one hand, to personal self-determination (individual attitude to state and humanistic educational problems), on the other hand, to the formation of public opinion, cultural policy aimed at identifying true interests and human needs. Modern society needs to develop and use ways of non-technical realization of the creative abilities of people, their spiritual potential, the implementation of "collective interests" and "collective ideas" about enduring human values: freedom, democracy, civil and political rights, social contract, justice of the social order, etc. .d.

Social institutions must ensure the development of such cultural and educational work, the results of which will ultimately determine new models of social action.

The library, being a relatively stable form of organizing social life, ensuring the stability of ties and relationships within society, can rightfully be defined as a social institution.

It is difficult to imagine any structure of society that could function without relying on the library. This explains the exceptionally wide variety of types of libraries that serve all socio-demographic strata of society without exception - from preschoolers to pensioners, representatives of all professions and occupations.

The term "library" comes from the Greek word "bibliothēkē", where "biblion" means "book" and "thēkē" means "repository". Its content was interpreted by representatives of different schools and epochs far from unambiguously and changed along with the change in ideas about the place and role of the library in the life of society. In different languages, this word means the same thing: a book house, a book warehouse, a book depository, a house for books, etc., and reflects the most ancient idea of ​​the essence and social purpose of a library: the preservation of books.

The purpose of the first libraries and their first mission was to store documented knowledge. The first libraries were treasury repositories for the most part of a closed type, since the collections of books that existed in them had a material and valuable value. Since the 19th century, its mission has been replenished with a new purpose - the enlightenment of the people. As human society developed, the process of institutionalization of the library took place: by the middle of the 20th century, it had turned into an integrative social institution, including informational and cultural components. Scientific, technical, environmental, cultural changes, global crisis phenomena of the XX century led to the further evolution of the library.

The application of the phenomenological approach makes it possible to identify the socio-cultural changes taking place with the library in the context of building a knowledge society. In the most general sense, this approach is a methodological position, a descriptive method that allows you to draw an object through direct knowledge, “direct perception of the truth in the values ​​of a “concrete life”.

An analysis of practice allows us to conclude that the modern mission of libraries is dictated by the increasing importance of information and knowledge as a catalyst for social development. It has several aspects:

· promoting the circulation and development of knowledge accumulated by mankind by providing free access to it;

preservation of documented knowledge as a public domain.

The mission of the library is implemented in specific social functions, so its transformation has led to a change in the social functions of the library. The social functions of the library are a generalized list of the library's obligations to society, which are dictated by it, necessary for it, directly or indirectly affect it and correspond to the essence of the library as a social institution.

Social (external) functions, which are the library's response to the needs of society, a way of interacting with the external environment, are considered as a means of adapting an element to a higher order system. “They contribute to the resolution of contradictions with the environment, serve as a means of adaptation to it. In the course of this resolution, any social system not only reproduces itself as a whole, but also constantly develops, and this is precisely the essence of the functioning of the library as a social institution.”

The social functions of a modern library are determined by its essential features as a cultural institution, which are manifested in the preservation and transmission of documented knowledge that ensures sustainable social development, including social norms and cultural values ​​that stabilize society. However, they are dynamic in nature: the degree of their development and filling with specific content, the priority of individual of them in specific historical periods of time are different. Without changing the name, the functions change their content depending on what social role society assigns to them. These functions are memorial, communication, information, educational, socializing and cultural.

The memorial function is a generic library function. The collection and storage of documents that record the knowledge accumulated by mankind, samples and values ​​of world, national and local culture has been and remains the social purpose of the library. The library stores public knowledge, objectified in specific documents as the primary elements of information and knowledge resources, which, in turn, are elements of the modern information space.

In the funds of many modern libraries, in addition to books, works of art are stored: paintings and engravings, posters and postcards, gramophone records, cassettes and disks with recordings of works of literature, music and cinema. Rare and valuable handwritten and printed books, which are the pride of library collections, are book monuments that are classified as objects of cultural heritage. The unique collections of regional and national libraries around the world are also among the objects of cultural heritage.

Collecting and preserving documentary sources that recorded the spiritual achievements of human civilization, examples of social practices, the library is the embodiment of the "memory of mankind". Providing continuous quantitative accumulation of information, the library serves as a guarantor of the emergence of new qualities of social memory.

The library allows society to maintain the necessary margin of safety during man-made accidents and social upheavals in order to restore production, social relations and reach a new level of social development after a certain time. Thus, the library ensures the sustainability of public life.

At the same time, the library does not turn into an archive or a warehouse of disparate information. Carrying out the systematization, storage and dissemination of cultural heritage, it organizes navigation in the world of culture, in the world of information and knowledge.

The peculiarity of the implementation of the memorial function is that the library preserves knowledge and culture in the most convenient form for perception, distribution and use. Any library not only takes care of the safety of documents, but also provides access to them. The modern library solves this contradictory task by creating metadata, exposing its collections, transferring the stored documented knowledge to other formats and media.

As part of the memorial function, the modern library collects and stores electronic documents. In a situation of uncontrolled and uncontrolled flow of unsystematized information, especially electronic information, it acts as an institution that ensures the preservation and circulation of knowledge, guaranteeing compliance with long-term standards of electronic publications and maintaining the stability of the electronic environment. The library becomes the basic structural component of the virtual environment, which has stability, unambiguous identification, provides legal regulation regarding the access to information resources.

The implementation of the memorial function is subordinated to the implementation of the communicative function by the library. As part of the communication function, the library organizes the interaction of a person with the social memory of all mankind, transferring to him for use all the public cultural heritage accumulated by civilization. The library is included in a complex system of social communication, "ensuring the creation, processing, storage and distribution of documented texts for public use."

A modern library creates opportunities for members of society to satisfy their information and knowledge needs through a set of documents accumulated in the funds, as well as to use the information resources of other libraries and institutions for these purposes. At the same time, it should be noted that the information needs of users can be of the most diverse nature and relate to both different areas of professional activity and everyday life.

By organizing access to the knowledge necessary for various activities, the library thereby contributes to the growth of the material well-being of society. The information and knowledge resources of libraries are the basis for the development of philosophical, ideological, religious, political currents; with their help, various trends in culture and art are formed and developed. By providing a variety of information to its users, the library helps to regulate the actions of members of society within the framework of established social relations. By facilitating a variety of human activities, the library ensures the integration of human aspirations, actions and interests.

Organizing access to documents that store the standards of human values ​​that ensure the sustainable development of society, its humanistic nature, the library contributes to the formation of the value system of society as a whole and the individual in particular.

The desire of the modern library to provide equal and free access to socially significant information and knowledge contributes to the establishment of social justice, reducing social tension in society. Expanding the availability of information enhances the role of libraries as a stabilizing social factor that ensures social security, social sustainability of social development, equalizes the possibilities for the production and consumption of information by different categories of the population.

The modern library aims to satisfy the real problems and requests of its users. Modern library services are focused on the individual, his dynamically changing needs, based on equal cooperation between a library specialist and a user.

Modern library practice has accumulated a rich arsenal of forms and methods of individual work with users and satisfaction of their needs. Being a specific social institution, the library focuses on the values ​​of each of its real and potential users, becomes a translator of these values ​​for other individuals, social groups and humanity as a whole.

The modern library emphasizes the principle of equality for all users. Especially important in this regard is the activity of public libraries that preserve and transmit cultural heritage to everyone, regardless of age, social status, race, nationality, religion, place of residence, gender, language and other differentiating features. It contributes not to the division, but to the consolidation of society, provides users with a starting minimum of information so that they can navigate in society and adapt to it. Thus, it softens social conflicts, contributes to the comprehensive development of users.

The library plays an important role as a public "place". It not only allows people to enter into informal contacts, provides an opportunity for comfortable communication with other people, but also becomes a “recreation corner” where you can hide from the pressure of the technological world. In this case, the library performs the social function of the “third place”, i.e. a place where a person feels protected (it is assumed that the first two such places are home and work).

The modern library is an institution for the consolidation of society. By providing opportunities for public meetings, organizing access to existing information networks, allowing each citizen to interact with the media, local and federal authorities, social services, state and private enterprises, the library creates conditions for virtual and real collective communications. The library becomes the center of social life, "a meaningful element of the socio-cultural infrastructure."

The communication function is closely intertwined with the information function, which involves the very process of transmitting information, i.e., the process of communication. At the same time, the concept of "communication" in the context of considering the institutional qualities of the library serves to a greater extent to determine the principles of social interaction, rather than the ways of its organization. At the same time, the information function accompanies all processes related to accessing the content of a document, permeates all elements of library work, since any action that includes working with documents at the level of its content, semantics, involves highlighting its meaning, creating transformed information, metaknowledge.

Technical and technological modernization ensured the strengthening of the information function of the modern library. The library becomes a full-fledged subject of the information space. It collects and stores documented information and knowledge, participates in the formation of the documentary flow and conducts its analytical and synthetic processing, systematizes and evaluates information and knowledge resources. Carrying out the systematization and cataloging of documents, reference and bibliographic services, the library creates the basis for many modern information and knowledge processes.

The peculiarity of the information function of a modern library is that it is implemented in close cooperation with other subjects of the information process, using various channels for disseminating information. The library is actively involved in the assessment, interpretation and filtering of information, in establishing certain links between information arrays in order to provide users with access to a wide range of sources of knowledge and socially significant information.

Until recently, the library was determined by the physical space it occupies, the documentary funds it has, and the circle of people involved in it. The document collections were organized in the library space in such a way that the user could easily locate a particular storage unit, although this gave rise to certain inconveniences associated with thematic or other principles of storage organization. The researcher had to know the library well, "get used to it" in order to take full advantage of its complex hierarchical structure.

The modern paradigm of library services is based not only on the use of the collection of documents of a particular library, it involves the use of fundamentally new opportunities for accessing information, regardless of the time and location of both the document and the user. To meet the information, educational, cultural needs of its users, the library makes available documented knowledge and information not only stored in its collection or on the hard drives of its servers.

The modern library destroys its physical boundaries, moves from the real space to the virtual one. On the one hand, it offers access to information resources belonging to other subjects of the information space, including those presented on the Internet. On the other hand, it creates electronic information resources (databases, collections of digitized documents, websites and web portals) available outside its physical walls. Finally, the library provides virtual services for finding information and necessary knowledge.

Library virtualization occurs with the active development of network interaction between libraries. The history of the creation of library networks spans decades. In Russia, the first networks of libraries appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. The most striking examples of library networks are centralized library networks, formed in the late 70s of the twentieth century on the principles of administrative command management, and the interlibrary loan system. The system of methodological guidance and intrasystem book exchange was based on the principles of network interaction, the activities of territorial library associations, interdepartmental library commissions were carried out.

One of the classics of the theory of library network interaction J. Becker gave the following definition of a library network. It is a formal union "... of two or more libraries for the exchange of information based on common standards and using communication tools, while pursuing functionally related goals."

Today, in the changed socio-economic conditions, a huge number of library networks are being created and operate, built on the principles of voluntary and active participation, the establishment of mutually beneficial and partnership relations. The goals of library interaction are the creation, accumulation and use of documented knowledge and socially significant information.

In the context of the growing intensity of the information and knowledge flow, the expansion of the availability of its constituent resources, the implementation of communication and information functions is impossible without the development of the cognitive activity of a modern library, which previously had an auxiliary character. The library is no longer a passive information intermediary, it is turning into one of the most productive and massive knowledge management systems.

It has such attributes of the sphere of knowledge as constant structuring, changing contexts, filtering and target thematization, translation and processing. The library provides ample opportunities for accessing the collective memory, removing the opposition of external and internal knowledge. The library creates special "meta-tools" with the help of which it manages knowledge arrays. Among them are systems of cataloging and classification, bibliography, methods of monitoring the knowledge needs of individual users, social groups, and society as a whole. By systematizing knowledge, highlighting its fragmentary and global levels, the library provides objectivity and depth of knowledge of the surrounding world. The development of the cognitive function of the library is the key to the demand for the social institution of the library in the knowledge society.

The modern library overcomes the boundaries of information and communication functions and takes on the role of another communication institution - the institution of education. The educational function of the library includes a set of activities aimed at ensuring the spiritual reproduction of society. The modern library participates in the process of education both in a broad sense (transmitting cultural norms and values ​​to current and future generations) and in a narrow sense (providing information support for an individual's education). Providing the unity of general (general cultural) and special (professional) education, the library contributes to the formation of a socially competent person. “Such a person adequately perceives the intended purpose of social institutions and trends in their development. It is capable of mastering developing technologies in the system of organization and management, i.e. capable of being a conscious subject of social processes.

Performing an educational function, the library has always been one of the universal ways of learning. Universality is expressed in the stratification of social needs and levels of cognitive tasks solved by the library, for example: the initial elimination of illiteracy in general or in some particular field of knowledge, self-education or research work, etc.

Without referring to already known texts, knowledge in general in any science, art, religion is practically impossible. After all, it is only by identifying the corresponding differences that it is possible to separate the elements of new knowledge from the old, known. The library mediates the appeal of the cognizing reader to the texts of another culture, language, history, society.

In addition, the library is associated with the knowledge of the production of a new text, discourse. From this point of view, it becomes an instrument of "cultural creativity": it teaches the search for and creation of new meanings. In this situation, the text is "a methodological field ... existing in the movement of discourse", crossing other works, - a field ... permeated with quotations, references, echoes, the language of culture."

The library provides compensation for the gap in people's knowledge, constantly feeding them with information about the latest achievements of science, technology, and culture. That is why it is customary to consider libraries as the main base for continuous education and self-education.

The modern library makes an important contribution to the dissemination and enhancement of information culture, which, along with computer literacy, is becoming one of the most important conditions for human activity as a full-fledged member of modern and future society. The productivity of cognition largely depends on the skills of subject differentiation and concretization of knowledge by library means, including systematization. With the introduction of modern information technologies, the task of teaching users to understand and apply knowledge management methods, “filter” information, make their own individual critical choices becomes even more relevant, since most of them are not ready to work independently in an electronic information environment.

Activities aimed at the free spiritual development of readers, familiarization with the values ​​of national and world culture, creating conditions for cultural (reproductive and productive) activities constitute the cultural function of the library.

Being an integral and organic part of culture, acting as the greatest value of human culture, the library at the same time is one of the most important factors in cultural development, distribution, renewal and increment of the cultural heritage of countries and peoples. The role of the library is especially great in the cultural and reproductive activity of a person, ensuring the continuity of the world cultural heritage.

As a powerful and at the same time sensitive instrument of cultural and reproductive activities of people, the library contributes to the development of a common culture of users, introduces them to the most important achievements of national and world culture, introduces norms, traditions, cultural achievements into their consciousness, life, way of life.

The cultural function traditionally inherent in libraries in modern society is enhanced due to the greater (in the context of globalization) desire of each person and each community to self-identify and promote their own culture.

The library, through reading, contributes to the formation of a person as a cultural, educated personality, since it has the unique properties of creating an atmosphere of intellectual, moral, aesthetic quests and experiences under the influence of reading.

The library contributes to "the inclusion of a particular person in culture, acting as its relay (through spiritual values ​​recorded in information sources)". This expresses its socializing function.

It should be noted that the library has a number of tangible advantages over some other social institutions involved in the process of socialization: its participation in this process has no restrictions on time and accessibility. The individual, realizing it or not realizing it, remains the object of socialization during the entire period while he visits libraries.

2. The New Role of Libraries in the Information Infrastructure of Society

The modern era is characterized by the new role of information that previously came to a person through books, magazines and other printed materials, and now through audio and video recordings, microfilms, laser discs, CD-ROMs and the Internet. Information predetermines the quality of life, both for individuals and for entire communities. Information is a vital necessity, but when it comes in in an excessive and irregular fashion, it becomes a destructive force. Is this trend of world information development correct for our country? Yes and no. On the one hand, we are becoming more and more open to all kinds of information flows, on the other hand, we feel limited opportunities in the development of the information space due to economic problems. Be that as it may, the general trend of a comprehensive multiplication of information is the same.

With such a development of events, we will encounter and are already encountering a state of human anxiety with a huge variety of information resources. And only one group of people realizes the importance of this problem. It was librarians who from time immemorial were engaged in collecting, organizing and disseminating recorded knowledge. Few professions are devoted to the noble idea of ​​assisting man in his search for knowledge and information. The main goal of libraries was and is to meet the information needs of society. In order to follow the ever-increasing information needs in modern conditions, in order to be in demand by society, libraries can and should develop their information resources and services. The role of libraries also acquires a social meaning when we talk about this historically established democratic institution, which, as a rule, provides free access to information for any citizen, regardless of his position in society.

Our country already has a fairly complex and developed information infrastructure, and libraries are an integral and essential part of it. Libraries, developing within this infrastructure, must comply with it and adapt to it. Scheme 1. will help to visually see the place of libraries in the information infrastructure as part of the information cycle from its creation to its use.

Diagram 1 View of the information structure as part of the information cycle

From this diagram, it can be seen that the information infrastructure consists of institutions and individuals included in the dynamic process of creating, disseminating and using information in society. We see that the library is involved in the distribution process and is an intermediary between the user and the information created. It should be noted that the library is present in every process of this cycle. So the organization of collections is influenced by the creators of information, librarians also have to organize the provision of information products, they negotiate with the sellers of information and are directly related to the consumers of information.

There is another way of viewing the information infrastructure through the representation of a variety of communication networks serving such information transmission channels as telephone lines, automated information systems, cable television and the Internet (Scheme 2).

Main types of networks and services in information infrastructure

Looking at the infrastructure from this point of view reveals the extent to which libraries are involved in information systems of the widest scope. Libraries are deeply interested in attracting as many information networks and services as possible to their environment, as through the mediation of libraries, an additional amount of information will become more accessible to the public. In this regard, libraries attach invaluable importance to the Internet, the information capacity of which makes it possible to combine many information networks and systems at the national and international level. Librarians interact with the information infrastructure in another way. That is, they must be versed in numerous technical means that make the transmission and processing of information possible and efficient. These include scanners, computers, telephones, faxes, CDs, video and audio equipment, radio, cable, telegraph, satellite communications, fiber optic communications, televisions, monitors, printers, cameras, etc.

The modern world impresses with the abundance and variety of information channels, the dominance of electronic and computer technology is becoming increasingly obvious. Librarians and libraries, in fulfilling their mission as disseminators of information and knowledge, must understand and develop these resources.

The development of electronic information technologies leads to the need to develop fundamental solutions that will give impetus to the improvement of the information infrastructure. Business and industry, communications (cable and telephone companies), database manufacturers, the federal government, the military, libraries, scientists, academic institutions, and ordinary citizens are all affected by and connected to this infrastructure. It is necessary to solve such issues as open access to information, protection of copyright, and at the same time, protection of the civil right to access to copyright information, information security, the right to private information, the price of information access. The solution of these issues is especially important for libraries as institutions that reflect the public interest in information, plays a special role in the information policy of the society.

CONCLUSION

The modern library is an adaptive multifunctional, open cultural and civilizational institution. It collects, organizes and preserves documented knowledge, guaranteeing the sustainability of social life in the event of social upheavals. Organizing access to the accumulated information and knowledge resources, providing navigation in them, it forms and satisfies the information, educational and cultural needs of individuals, ensuring the integration of their aspirations, actions and interests, as well as the sustainable development of human society. The modern library transmits cultural norms and values ​​from generation to generation, contributing to the social adaptation and socialization of individuals throughout life. It becomes not only an active participant in information production, but also a necessary tool for knowledge management.

The library is one of the basic (initial) structures of each society, therefore, changes in it affect the library directly, and its public mission is determined by the nature of the development of civilization. Through the mission, the library is connected both with the situation of a particular society and with the world cultural process as a whole, it reflects the stages of the spiritual quest of mankind.

The changes taking place in modern society lead to the transformation of the social functions of the library. Its traditional functions (memorial, communication, information, educational and cultural) have been enriched with new content, and the possibilities for their implementation have expanded. Of particular relevance and development are such functions of the library as communicative and cognitive, providing the possibility of the cognitive process, the continuity of cultural development and the use of the public cultural heritage of mankind.

LIST OF USED LITERATURE

1. Akilina, M.I. Public Libraries: Renewal Trends // Bibliotekovedenie. - 2001. - No. 2.

2. Volodin, B.F. The Scientific Library in the Context of Scientific, Educational and Cultural Policy: The Historical Experience of Germany. - St. Petersburg, 2002.

3. Goncharov, S.3. Axiological and creative-anthropological foundations of education // Economy and culture: interuniversity. Sat. - Yekaterinburg, 2003.

4. Kartashov, N.S. General librarianship. - Part 2. - M., 1997.

5. Matlina, S.G. Notes on the margins of "Philosophical Articles" in the journal "Library Science" // Bibliotekovedenie. - 1996. - No. 4/5.

6. Network interaction of libraries: materials of international. conf. - St. Petersburg, 2000.

7. Fedoreeva, L.V. Library as a social institution in the period of social transformation: On the example of the formation of a regional information and library center in the Khabarovsk Territory: dis. cand. sociological Sciences: 22.00.04. - Khabarovsk, 2005.

8. Firsov, V.R. Essential Functions of Library Activity: Cultural Approach // Scientific and Technical Libraries. - 1985. - No. 5.

9. Tsareva, R.N. The role and place of the library in the value system of civil society // RBA Newsletter. - 2005. - No. 36.

Fedoreeva, L.V. Library as a social institution in the period of social transformation: On the example of the formation of a regional information and library center in the Khabarovsk Territory: dis. cand. sociological Sciences: 22.00.04. - Khabarovsk, 2005.

Kartashov, N.S. General librarianship. - Part 2. - M., 1997. - P. 4.

Firsov, V.R. Essential Functions of Library Activity: Cultural Approach // Scientific and Technical Libraries. - 1985. - No. 5. - P.15-20.

Volodin, B.F. The Scientific Library in the Context of Scientific, Educational and Cultural Policy: The Historical Experience of Germany. - St. Petersburg, 2002. - S. 113.

Tsareva, R.N. The role and place of the library in the value system of civil society // RBA Newsletter. - 2005. - No. 36. - S. 16-19.

Akilina, M.I. Public Libraries: Renewal Trends // Bibliotekovedenie. - 2001. - No. 2. - P. 17.

Network interaction of libraries: materials of international. conf. - SPb., 2000. - S. 44.

Goncharov, S.3. Axiological and creative-anthropological foundations of education // Economy and culture: interuniversity. Sat. - Yekaterinburg, 2003. - S. 255-275.

Matlina, S.G. Notes on the margins of "Philosophical Articles" in the journal "Library Science" // Bibliotekovedenie. - 1996. - No. 4/5. - S. 102.

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