College and Research Libraries By V A L T E R A H L S T E D T / Library Education in the Soviet Union IN J U N E of 1956 when a class f r o m the library school of the Stockholm City Library visited the Soviet U n i o n on a study trip, its members q u i t e naturally tried to learn something a b o u t Russian library education. T h i s article* is a re- port on what we learned together with some i n f o r m a t i o n derived f r o m other sources. Of course, library education existed in pre-revolutionary Russia even though it was not very extensive. For example, starting in 1913 the university for a d u l t education in Moscow taught courses in library science. However, it was only after the October Revolution that the importance of libraries and, therefore, of library education was fully recog- nized; and, of course, principally as a p r o p a g a n d a instrument for the new form of government. According to Steiner, " T h o s e w h o h a d newly come to power wished to create a network of libraries of all kinds t h r o u g h o u t the entire U n i o n and to develop and spread new working methods which would serve to educate the masses in commu- nism and to build u p a socialistic cul- ture, science and technical facility." From the very beginning of the forma- tion of the new Soviet state, Lenin and Stalin turned their attention to the or- ganization of libraries. N. K. Krupskava, Lenin's wife, was at that time the leader of the Soviet library system. O n Novem- ber 3, 1920, a decree was issued which * P u b l i s h e d o r i g i n a l l y in S w e d i s h in Biblioteks- bladet, I X ( 1 9 5 7 ) . I t is r e p r i n t e d h e r e w i t h t h e a u t h o r ' s p e r m i s s i o n . T r a n s l a t e d by T h o m a s R . Buck- m a n , H e a d , A c q u i s i t i o n s D e p a r t m e n t , U n i v e r s i t y of K a n s a s L i b r a r i e s , L a w r e n c e . Valter Ahlstedt is Assistant Librarian of the Stockholm Public Library. provided the organizational basis for the development of the library system. A few figures show what enormous prog- ress was made: In 1914 there were 12,600 public libraries and in 1939 there were 250,000 libraries of all kinds, of which 77,600 were public libraries. In 1956, ac- cording to i n f o r m a t i o n given to us o n our trip, there were 390,000 libraries of all types in the Soviet Union. Because of this expansion, education for librarianship became an i m p o r t a n t question. At first, library d e p a r t m e n t s were established in some communistic higher schools, pedagogical institutes, and political schools. Between the years 1925-30 there were also nine-year schools in which students were prepared for library work in their final two years. Li- brary courses on a higher level were held for many years at the Saltykov- Shchedrin Library in Leningrad a n d in the Lenin Library in Moscow. A decree f r o m the year 1934 regarding the library system in the Soviet U n i o n introduced a new phase in library education. At present, education for librarianship takes three forms in the Soviet U n i o n : studies in a library technical school, in a library institute, a n d in c o n t i n u a t i o n courses as an aspirant. T h e library technical school, as the name implies, teaches basic subjects in library science and prepares its stu- dents for junior positions in city, dis- trict, and children's libraries. T h e s e basic schools are spread over the entire coun- try (in 1952 there were twenty-five of them in Russia itself, sixteen in the Ukraine, etc.). Previously, after seven years of elementary school, students would be accepted at the library tech- SEPTEMBER 1958 467 nical school (at an age of a b o u t four- teen years) w h e r e they w o u l d study for three years. According to the informa- tion we were given however, a ten-year elementary course is now r e q u i r e d for entrance. T h e l e n g t h of the t r a i n i n g is now one a n d a half years, b u t it is p l a n n e d to increase it to two years. I n these basic library technical schools the students study, as r e q u i r e d subjects, the history of the Soviet U n i o n a n d m o d e r n history in general, the R u s s i a n language, l i t e r a t u r e , mathematics, physics, n a t u r a l science, economic geography, chemistry, one foreign language, library history a n d library organization, b i b l i o g r a p h y , techniques of library science, organiza- tion of work, a n d reference service. Elec- tive subjects are the m e t h o d s of r e a d i n g fiction, a n d advertising techniques. D u r i n g the school year 1945-46, 4,500 s t u d e n t s received their t r a i n i n g at these schools, a n d in 1951, 11,000. Starting in 1949 the theoretical t r a i n i n g was com- b i n e d w i t h practice at a district or r u r a l library. I n the practice work greatest emphasis is placed o n giving advice to readers a n d in trying to s t i m u l a t e read- ing interests. T h e l i b r a r y i n s t i t u t e is i n t e n d e d for h i g h e r professional e d u c a t i o n . L i b r a r y directors, bibliographers, library school lecturers, a n d library supervisors re- ceive their t r a i n i n g here. At present t h e r e are two such institutes in the Soviet Un- ion, one in Moscow a n d the o t h e r in L e n i n g r a d . Of e q u a l r a n k w i t h these are the library school faculties at the pedagogical i n s t i t u t e s in Kharkov, Minsk a n d Tiflis. E n t r a n c e require- m e n t s are c o m p l e t i o n of ten years of elementary school a n d a n admission ex- a m i n a t i o n in R u s s i a n l a n g u a g e a n d lit- erature, history, g e o g r a p h y a n d o n e for- eign language; however, if the candi- dates were h i g h in their classes in the elementary school the admission exami- n a t i o n is waived. A t t h e time of en- trance the students are a b o u t seventeen years of age. T h r o u g h an interview the director of the school a t t e m p t s to de- t e r m i n e the suitability of the students. H e may advise a s t u d e n t n o t to enter, b u t c a n n o t f o r b i d h i m to d o so. T h e l e n g t h of the course is f o u r years. D u r i n g o u r t r i p we h a d a n o p p o r t u - nity to study the library institutes in L e n i n g r a d a n d Moscow. T h e L e n i n g r a d i n s t i t u t e which is lo- cated in a f o r m e r embassy palace o n the Neva E m b a n k m e n t was f o u n d e d in 1918 a n d was the first Soviet h i g h e r school especially i n t e n d e d fof the e d u c a t i o n of librarians. I n the b e g i n n i n g it was a p a r t of the pedagogical faculty at the university, b u t since 1941 it has been a n i n d e p e n d e n t school, in c o n t i n u o u s op- eration excepting d u r i n g the war years 1941-44. Each year 210 students are ad- m i t t e d and, in a d d i t i o n , 60 students w h o wish to be t r a i n e d as children's librar- ians. Besides there is a n evening course for those w h o are already employed in a library (60 persons are enrolled), a n d a correspondence course w i t h 400 per- sons enrolled. A director is in charge of the school, a n d a n assistant director is responsible for m a t t e r s r e l a t i n g to study a n d research, a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , instruction by correspondence, a n d evening courses. T h e i n s t i t u t e has two faculties each w i t h its dean, o n e for the general divi- sion a n d one for the division concerned w i t h the t r a i n i n g of children's librarians. T h e r e are n i n e faculty positions three of which are in the special subjects: li- b r a r y science, bibliography, a n d library work w i t h children. Each subject has its own seminar library w i t h course books in m a n y copies. I n all there are 120,000 volumes. T h e book stock seemed to be poorly cared for a n d the catalogs were unsatisfactory. Foreign bibliogra- phies were entirely lacking. Since the e n d of the war some two t h o u s a n d stu- dents have been g r a d u a t e d f r o m the in- stitute. T h e Moscow institute, which is lo- 468 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES cated about eighteen miles f r o m the cen- ter of the city, was f o u n d e d in 1930. I t is divided into two departments, one for the education of librarians and the other for teachers who will work in adult education. T h e latter d e p a r t m e n t trains leaders for clubs a n d cultural cen- ters. It has been in existence only a couple of years. I n the day division there are 1,300 students, in the evening division 500 and in the correspondence division, 2,600. T h e institute is a board- ing school somewhat similar to the Scan- dinavian folk high schools. A b o u t half of the students live at the school in es- pecially provided dormitories. A b o u t six thousand students have been grad- u a t e d f r o m the institute. T h e instruction of the library insti- tutes, which consists of lectures, semi- nars, a n d practical exercises, includes three kinds of subjects: 1. General subjects. U n d e r this head- ing the following are included: soci- ology, economics, philosophy, Marxism, history, history of literature, one foreign language (German, English or French), pedagogy, psychology, f u n d a m e n t a l s of industrial and agricultural production, gymnastics and physical e d u c a t i o n . These courses occupy two-thirds of a student's total period of study at the institute. 2. Special subjects. T h e s e include li- brary history (Russian and foreign), li- brary science (including administration, book selection, and cataloging), bibliog- raphy (general and special), subject lit- erature (principally in the social sciences, agriculture and industry), and library work with children. 3. O p t i o n a l courses. For example, pic- ture collections, advertising, the history of art, music and theatre. T h o s e who wish to become children's librarians may choose public speaking, oral interpreta- tion, story telling, club activity, etc. D u r i n g the four years of study the students have seventeen weeks of prac- tical library experience. In the second year they do practice work at a large li- brary and are concerned especially with cataloging and the book collection. Dur- ing the third year they work seven weeks at a district library which contains f r o m two to three h u n d r e d thousand volumes and devote themselves princi- pally to reference a n d circulation work. Finally, d u r i n g the f o u r t h year they serve in one of the smaller r u r a l librar- ies or in a branch of a city library and spend most of their time in studying methods and supervision. W r i t t e n assignments must also be completed d u r i n g the course of study. D u r i n g the second year a r e p o r t on a book dealing with cataloging is re- quired, d u r i n g the third year a bibliog- raphy in an assigned subject must be compiled and defended, and d u r i n g the f o u r t h , a similar bibliography is made, b u t on an optional subject. T h e examinations are taken succes- sively in the various subjects. (Students taking the correspondence course may be examined in the general subjects at the institute and, if they pass, their fares will be paid by the institute. T h e ex- aminations may also be taken at local colleges.) T h e final examination is given by members of a state commission and include three subjects: Marxism, history of literature, and library science. T h e examiners are experts f r o m the Minis- try of Education. T h e period of the ex- a m i n a t i o n --is ten days. At the time of our visit to the library institute in Mos- cow the final examinations in library science were being held and we h a d the o p p o r t u n i t y of hearing a p a r t of the oral questioning. T h e examinee was re- quired, with the help of a few notes, to give short extemporaneous talks on two library subjects. Students with good grades are eli- gible, d u r i n g the period of study, for stipends which in L e n i n g r a d a m o u n t to 220-390 rubles per m o n t h , a n d in Mos- SEPTEMBER 1958 469 cow, 250-295 r u b l e s per m o n t h . T h o s e w i t h the highest grades may receive an a d d i t i o n a l 25 per cent. Personal stipends f r o m 400 to 700 r u b l e s a m o n t h are also available f r o m labor u n i o n s a n d o t h e r sources. W h e n the course is completed the Ministry of I n s t r u c t i o n assigns positions to the newly g r a d u a t e d librarians, which they must occupy for a period of three years. T h e wishes of the s t u d e n t s a n d their places of residence are taken i n t o consideration in m a k i n g the assignments. M a n y of the new l i b r a r i a n s regard them- selves as pioneers a n d request t h a t they be sent to r e m o t e places. T h e library institutes provide grad- uates chiefly for the p u b l i c libraries, b u t in Moscow, f o r example, a b o u t two h u n - d r e d of the students h a d been given po- sitions at the L e n i n Library. Salaries r a n g e f r o m 500 to 1,500 rubles. How- ever, those w i t h advanced academic de- grees receive 2,400 rubles, a n d l i b r a r i a n s in the academies of science receive a sal- ary of 3,000 rubles. L i b r a r i a n s w h o have a good knowledge of o n e f o r e i g n lan- guage receive a n a d d i t i o n a l i n c r e m e n t of 10 per cent. Students w h o have shown a n a p t i t u d e for research may c o n t i n u e their library studies a f t e r t a k i n g the e x a m i n a t i o n at o n e of the institutes. Such students may o b t a i n a n aspirant's a p p o i n t m e n t for a p e r i o d of t h r e e years (four years, if the s t u d e n t is engaged in part-time work of some kind). T h e s e a p p o i n t m e n t s corre- s p o n d to A m e r i c a n g r a d u a t e scholar- ships or fellowships. Aspirants receive 680 rubles per m o n t h for subsistence a n d 680 r u b l e s per year f o r books. D u r i n g the p e r i o d of study a p a p e r m u s t be writ- ten w h i c h m u s t be publicly d e f e n d e d at the i n s t i t u t e in the presence of three o p p o n e n t s . T h e students w h o are suc- cessful receive the title of C a n d i d a t e in Pedagogy w i t h library science or bibliog- r a p h y as their m a j o r subject. A t the n e x t level is the doctor's degree in library science which is g r a n t e d only by the fac- ulties of pedagogy at the universities. I t should also be m e n t i o n e d t h a t the schol- arly libraries such as, f o r example, the L e n i n Library, give one-year courses for their staff m e m b e r s w h o have h a d a col- lege or university e d u c a t i o n . T h e s e courses are designed to t r a i n special li- brarians. Steiner has characterized the goal of Soviet l i b r a r i a n s h i p in this way: " W e m u s t t r a i n l i b r a r i a n s w h o have a thor- o u g h knowledge of the f u n d a m e n t a l s of M a r x i s m a n d Leninism, w h o have a good general e d u c a t i o n , w h o are well a c q u a i n t e d w i t h the library system, w h o k n o w books a n d the m e t h o d s which are used in work w i t h books, a n d w h o are capable of carrying o u t communistic e d u c a t i o n a l work a m o n g the masses." T h i s goal reveals b o t h the strength a n d the weakness in Soviet e d u c a t i o n for l i b r a r i a n s h i p . T h e weakness f r o m o u r p o i n t of view is of course the ideological a n d n a t i o n a l l i m i t a t i o n . T h e strength is the positive interest in the library sys- tem shown by the state a n d its aware- ness of t h e i m p o r t a n c e of libraries in society. O n the credit side should also be n o t e d the e n t h u s i a s m a n d p i o n e e r i n g spirit of t h e y o u n g librarians-to-be a n d their zeal f o r m a k i n g a c o n t r i b u t i o n wherever they are placed. R E F E R E N C E S K . K n u t s s o n , " F o l k b i b l i o t e k i S o v j e t u n i o n - e n , " Biblioteksbladet, X X X I I I (1948), 54- 59. W . S a x t o r p h , " S S S R - B o r g e r n e s A d g a n g til a t l a n e B 0 g e r , " Salmonsen Leksikon-Tids- skrift, X I I I (1933), 159-64. G . S t e i n e r , " D i e b i b l i o t h e k a r i s c h e A u s b i l - d u n g i n d e r S o w j e t u n i o n , " Der Biblio- thekar, V I (1952), 138-43. [ E D I T O R ' S N O T E : I t h a s b e e n s u g g e s t e d t h a t r e a d e r s of t h i s a r t i c l e also w o u l d b e i n t e r - e s t e d i n e x a m i n i n g a n o t h e r p a p e r o n S o v i e t l i b r a r y e d u c a t i o n . T h i s is H o r s t K u n z e , " A u s b i l d u n g , " Zentralblatt fur Bibliotheks- wesen, L X X I (1957), 134-38.] 470 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES