Libraries of scientific societies of Siberia and the Far East in the XIX century and their role in book culture development

In the context of reforming science and culture, which is being actively implemented in Russia at the present time, it is important to remember the making scientific societies and the positive role has played by them in the book culture development, formation of book collections in Siberian and Far Eastern libraries. The Russian Geographical Society (RGS) was founded in St. Petersburg in 1845. From the first years of its existence, it has launched extensive expeditionary, publishing and educational activities. Received in 1850 the status of the Imperial (IRGS) one, in 1851 it began to create its branches in remote regions of the country. Among the first was the Siberian Department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (SDIRGS) in Irkutsk, where the library was created: book collections were actively formed, catalogues were organized, printing and bibliographic activity was launched. Since 1856 IRGS Department began to publish "Memoirs of the Siberian Department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society", which contributed to book exchange development between domestic and foreign scientific societies and institutions. In 1877 the West-Siberian Department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (WSDIRGS) was formed in Omsk, and after it already existing Siberian IRGS Department was renamed to the East Siberian (ESDIRGS). The activity of the Society of Altai Researchers organized in late 1891 in Barnaul was well known. In 1902 it became a part of the Imperial Geographical Society on the rights of the Altai subdivision of WSDIRGS. It also held a book exchange with scientific organizations and societies, received grants from the European professors. In 1901 Krasnoyarsk subdivision of ESDIRGS was opened, its library formation began. Yakutsk Department of IRGS was founded in 1913, which organized a scientific library with a reading room. In Vladivostok the Scientific Library of Amur Region Research Society was opened in 1884, in Khabarovsk the Amur Department of IRGS with a museum and a public library was created in 1894, which marked initiating the Far Eastern State Scientific Library. In 1894 Troitskosavsk-Kyakhta subdivision of the Amur Department of the Russian Geographical Society was opened, it carried on book exchange with 72 Russian societies and editorial boards. The Transbaikalian subdivition of the Amur Department of the Russian Geographical Society operated in Chita, which had a library. The largest collections held by libraries of RGS departments were works on Siberian research. A significant role in shaping scientific book collections was played by the East Siberian Branch of the Russian Technical Society in Irkutsk, the department of the Imperial Moscow Society of Agriculture in Krasnoyarsk, etc. Included in social communication, the library as a part of book culture and cultural institutions have contributed to social progress and showed further ways of cultural evolution. Nowadays understanding libraries evolution is related to raising public interest in the national historical-cultural heritage conservation and use under a specific strategy development in the context of the society transformation.

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