Texas Librarians
Delegation to Russia
Corinne Hill, Delegation Leader
October 14 – 23, 2005

Thursday, October 20, 2005
The Saint Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts

The University and the Library and Information Science Department (the “department”) were founded in 1918. Because of the age of the department there are many traditions, especially regarding working with books and working with readers. The Saint Petersburg State University, Library and Information Science Department together with the University of Moscow developed the first standards for library studies. The standards were developed three years ago and were adopted and accepted by the Russian Library Association.

The dean excused herself, as she had to teach a class, and there was a presentation of the appreciation certificate and a gift bag containing items from the Texas Library Association, as well as keepsakes from delegates’ cities and libraries.

The head of the International Relations Department, Ms. Larissa Moskalenko, introduced herself and provided some background on the University as a whole. The University has buildings all over the city, plus dormitories and a sports complex. She explained that in addition to library and information science the University has specialties in:

• History
• Social Work
• Cinema
• Music
• Instrumental Performance, especially the accordion
• Information technology design
• Ph.D. programs for higher education

Following this brief introduction, the delegation directed questions to the University representatives.

1. How long does it take to become a librarian?
   A bachelor’s degree: four years
   A master’s degree: two years
   A specialitist: five years (six if taken by correspondence)
    
2. Is there a foreign language requirement?
   This depends on the specialty, some specialties require numerous languages
    
3. Do they prepare 2nd career librarians?
   No, they only accept graduates with a bachelor’s in library school.
    
4. Many new graduates feel that everything is on the Internet. Do you have this same experience and how do you train graduates to find the best information?
   Russian students also prefer the Internet but the department teaches print resources as well. Print resources are usually emphasized during an exam. If students turn in work with information from the Internet they must do the work again.
    
5. Are there core courses?
   All specialties must study all of the same classes the first year.
    
6. In the U.S., most librarians are women, but administrators tend to men. Do you have this same experience in Russia?
   Yes, it is the same in Russia. Of the 78 students enrolled only eight are male. And, not all men go to work in libraries - they write, publish, etc.
    
7. Are librarians treated the same as faculty? Are they on the same pay scale?
   Yes, it is equally low.
    
8. Do you require practicums?
   Yes, 3-5 years in different types of libraries.
    
9. Correspondence study: is this electronic or post?
   Students must come to the university twice each year. The University in Moscow is computerized. But at this University most students are from
   inland Russia and do not have access to technology, so they study through the post.
    
10. What is the status of the librarians in Russia?
    Closer to a teacher than a janitor. Librarians are highly respected in small towns.

Following the questions, Ms. Moskalenko, took us on a tour of the building.

Friday, October 21, 2005
The Scientific Library of Saint Petersburg State University

The delegation was greeted by Ms. Marina Karpova, deputy director of the Scientific Library. The Scientific Library is the second largest, after the library at the University of Moscow. They have 7 million holdings, 335 staff members, 65,000 regular readers and 43,000 students. The Scientific Library houses more than 100,000 ancient books and manuscripts. It is quite large, with 20 faculties and 22 libraries in different parts of the city. The Scientific Library serves the entire university, but not the general public; although they are visited by those from outside the university.

Like most libraries, the Scientific Library has a problem with not having enough space. The Russian Minister of Education has pledged $9 million toward the renovation of a campus building for the Scientific Library. The library staff is now wondering what will happen next and with the new building; they are thinking about automation.

Some of the Scientific Library libraries are more technologically advanced than others. It depends on their staff, their space limitations, financing, etc. Some of the libraries are able to participate in large corporate projects, and that certainly helps.

The director then asked the delegation if we had questions for them. We were curious about the extent of their technology access. The director explained that the Scientific Library is a leader in electronic database access, with approximately 18,000 titles available electronically (they have an equal number of titles available in print). Students and faculty can access electronic information from home. The Scientific Library provides electronic document delivery to other universities worldwide.