History of the Library

Dates, Events, People
Forums, Conferences, Seminars

The history of libraries for the blind in Russia dates back to XIX century. The Special Library, established at the Alexander-Mariinsky School for the Blind in St. Petersburg, was one of the first among such establishments in Russia. It contained 1,300 volumes by 1895. A small printing-house was equipped at the same time and a process of regular publishing of Braille books began.

In 1930 the Central Library for the Blind was included into the structure of the Moscow Regional Library (common type). In 1954 the Library was reorganized into the Republican Central Library for the Blind of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), and in 1992 - into the Russian State Library for the Blind (RGBS). During 1950-1960 an intensive organization of a system of state libraries for the blind under the leadership of the Republican Central Library for the Blind was implemented in RSFSR. So 20 special libraries were established in regional, krai and republican centers in 1956.

The Novosibirsk Regional Special Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NRSL) was opened on October 28, 1965. It was situated in Uritsky Street and its first name was the Municipal Library No. 44. In 1972 the Special Library moved to a new place of its residence - 15, Krylova Street. Since that time the Library has been situated here.

The Library has been administered by different directors: Sergey Andreyevich Grigorov (1965-1972), Galina Vasilyevna Zarochintseva (1972-1978), Galina Alexandrovna Zaiko (1978-1983) and Inna Konstantinovna Tambovtseva (1983-1993). Since 1993 till present Yuri Yurievich Lesnevsky has been the Director of NRSL.

The main Departments of NRSL: the Department of Completion, Loan Department and Correspondence Loan Department, were established in 1976. The Department of Information and Bibliography was organized in 1995. The creation of the Interregional Information Resource Center on the basis of the Library began in 1996, which allowed not only to provide library services but also to introduce and develop modern adaptive technologies.

During its relatively short history, NRSL has passed the way from a small Library at the Regional Board of the All-Russia Association of the Blind to the Center of Library Service for people with various kinds of disabilities which is widely known not only in Russia but also abroad.

The task of professional and social positioning of the Library is fulfilled by conducting forums, conferences, seminars, and also its active participation in many regional and international events on profile subjects. During recent years the following professional meetings have been organized and conducted on the basis of the Library or with its key participation:

• International Scientific Practical Conference "Information Potential of the Special Library for the Blind in Realization of Social Policy of the Region" - Novosibirsk, February 1996
• Interregional Training Seminar "Organization of Remote Access and Information Exchange in the Libraries for the Blind of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East" - Novosibirsk, April 1999
• Training Seminar "Corporative Cataloging and Problems of Access to Editions in Non-traditional Formats" - Novosibirsk, September 2000
• Forum "Library is a Window into the World: a Guarantee of Free Access to Information for the Physically Handicapped"- Novosibirsk, April 2001
• Training Seminar "Social Psychological Features of Library Service for Disabled People" - Novosibirsk, May 2001
• Conference "Accessible Higher Education in Siberia"- Novosibirsk, June 2001
• Training Seminar "Technology of Forming and Using Library Information Resources for Physically Handicapped Users"- Novosibirsk, October 2001
• International Scientific Practical Conference "Libraries Providing Services for People with Disabilities and Public Sector on the Way to Social Partnership" - Novosibirsk, April 2002
• Training Seminar "Corporative Model of Library Information Provision of Accessible Higher Education"-Novosibirsk, September-October 2002
• Forum of disabled people of the Novosibirsk region: Round Table "Differentiated and Integrated Models of Inclusion of Disabled People into the Modern Cultural Life" - Novosibirsk, November 2003