Libraries are bastions of knowledge, dedicated to nurturing a nation of readers.

Pros and Cons

On one hand, all these innovations are undoubtedly beneficial, but on the other hand, the ease of obtaining and accessing any information has not only changed human mentality but also impacted cognitive abilities. Many are concerned that the World Wide Web has begun to overshadow books, which have long been considered a source and guardian of knowledge. After all, it is only books that make a person an intellectual, capable of independent thought, thereby further advancing science and improving society.

In this regard, the role of libraries remains immense.

Being Multifaceted

The modern library is not just a traditional library and information institution but also a center of public life, focusing on the individual user and their needs, believes the director of the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
Bakytzhamal Ospanova (in the picture).

Under the influence of time, traditional forms of service are changing. New areas are emerging within library spaces, such as those for group and individual work, creativity zones, and spaces for communication and various cultural events and exhibitions. This is why libraries are gradually transforming into centers of knowledge, education, and leisure. The introduction of computer technologies has allowed for the automation of all stages of user interaction, both within the library and beyond, creating electronic catalogs and databases, and electronic libraries.

As for the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan, it possesses a unique scientific and universal collection that is truly an invaluable cultural heritage. In recent years, the library has been enriched with new rarities and publications of various orientations. A system of publishing in national languages has begun to form, explains Bakytzhamal Ospanova.

– Today, the total book collection exceeds seven million storage units in 123 languages of the world's peoples, – she continues. – Our library holds the most complete collection of Kazakh books and books about Kazakhstan, manuscript documents, art albums, cartographic, musical, and notation publications... The collection of rare books and manuscripts deserves special attention, with over forty thousand documents, including more than a thousand manuscripts.

The main task of the library is to facilitate the informational, educational, and cultural development of society, so it is very important to replenish the book collection with new literature. The primary source for replenishing the collections is the mandatory free copies received in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan on “Culture” and “Mass Media”. The collection is also supplemented by literature published under the state program of the Ministry of Culture and Information, as well as through donations. For example, our library has received collections of books from the personal libraries of Sabit Mukhanov, Muzafar Alimbayev, Kalizhan Bekhozhin, Gerold Belger, Azilkhan Nurshaikhov, and other well-known cultural and public figures.

Additionally, the National Library serves as a depository for publications released under the state program “Cultural Heritage”. These are books on the history, archaeology, philosophy, pedagogy, politics, architecture, economics, law, ethnography, and culture of Kazakhstan, encyclopedic dictionaries, reference books, and works of art by Kazakh writers. Among them are unique series such as the 100-volume collection of Kazakh folklore “Babalar sözi”, 20-volume sets “Қазақ халқының философиялық мұрасы”, “Әлемдік философиялық мұра”, “Әдеби жәдігерлер”, 14-volume “Тарих – адамзат ақыл-ойының қазынасы”, 10-volume collections “Қазақ әдебиетінің тарихы”, “Адамзат ақыл-ойының қазынасы. Психология”, “Қазақтың ата-заңдары”, “Древний мир права казахов” and others, as well as the series “Library of World Literature”, consisting of translations of the best works of world classics into Kazakh.

– As practice shows, readers are currently most interested in historical themes. Regarding the reading preferences of young people, business reading takes the lead. There is also a special interest in literature on self-development, modern technologies, artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary disciplines. The most active readers are students. We also have regular readers who come to enjoy fiction, newspapers, and magazines. Among them are not only young people but also retirees and schoolchildren. In general, more than a million readers visit the library each year, – notes Bakytzhamal Ospanova.

Books Above All

The development of scientific direction is one of the priorities, allowing not only to advance the library sector in the republic but also to forecast the development of library work. Each year, the library prepares an informational and analytical review “Libraries of Kazakhstan. Facts and Figures”, maintaining an online system of the same name. This is a full-fledged professional resource that allows for the analysis of the state and prospects of library affairs in Kazakhstan.

Additionally, research is conducted on the collection of rare books and manuscripts. For instance, as a result of research, a manuscript in Arabic “Kitab Sihah fi-lugat” by the scholar Abu Nasir Ismail al-Jahiz (circa 940–1002) was identified, and a book was published with a transcription from medieval Turkic (Chagatai) language to Cyrillic and a facsimile of the manuscript by the student of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi – Suleiman Bakyrgani “Hikmat Khaziret Sultan al-Gharifin” comprising 984 pages. This 16th-century manuscript was included in the UNESCO “Memory of the World” international register in 2003; it is the most complete version of the work “Bakyrgan kitabi”, which contains 393 hikmats.

In the early years of independence, the library published a series of retrospective bibliographic indexes “Returned Names”, dedicated to the lives and works of poets and writers who suffered under Stalin’s repressions, including Akhmet Baitursynuly, Zhusupbek Aymauytov, Mirzhakyp Dulatuly, Magzhan Zhumabaev, and Shakarim Kudayberdyuly. Bibliographic indexes on the topic of “Alash” include “The Alash Movement: History and Modernity” and “Alihan Bokeikhan”.

For the anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a retrospective bibliographic index “Kazakhstan in the Years of the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945)” was prepared in two parts.

Special interest is drawn to indexes dedicated to the lives and works of classics of Kazakh literature and contemporary writers: Abai Kunanbaev, Mukhtar Auezov, Kemel Tokaev, Olzhas Suleimenov, Mukagali Makataev, Oralhan Bokeev, and others.

Last year, bibliographic indexes were published in honor of the 125th anniversary of the state and public figure Oraz Zhandosov and the 100th anniversary of children’s writer Berdibek Sokpakbaev.

– In the modern world, libraries must continuously evolve; they are called to be multifaceted. Today’s readers are interested not only in books; they need new opportunities. Our task is to create conditions that make it appealing for people to visit the library. For instance, in order to create comfortable conditions in all reading rooms, open access to collections has been organized, allowing for independent search and selection of necessary books. Moreover, tours of the library are organized for guests and visitors, – shares Bakytzhamal Ospanova. – We have established the Abai Literary Center and the Al-Farabi Scientific Center, where various events involving students and schoolchildren are held.

It should be emphasized that the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan occupies a worthy place in the global library community. It is a member of authoritative international associations such as the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the Association of Turkic National Libraries, and the Library Assembly of Eurasia. Since 2008, we have been the Regional Center for Central Asia under the IFLA/PAC Main Program for the preservation and conservation of documents.

Libraries in the modern world are needed for the same reasons they were needed a hundred years ago, two hundred, or even earlier. A library is the most accessible of all public spaces, – concludes Bakytzhamal Ospanova. – Regardless of the transformations libraries may undergo in the future, I am confident that they will maintain their purpose and significance and continue to benefit society.