LibraryDay21

Researchers believe that the first book depository in Russia appeared very, very long ago — in 1037 under Yaroslav the Wise. Catherine II in 1795 issued a decree on the establishment of the state library in St. Petersburg-the Imperial Public Library . It was the first library available to everyone. Later, in 1995, the President of Russia issued a decree on the celebration of the All-Russian Library Day and timed it to coincide with the date of publication of the decree by Catherine the Great — May 27.

Modern libraries, according to some experts, are experiencing a stage of decline. The increasing spread of the Internet and the availability of almost any information on the network significantly reduces the popularity of ancient "book repositories". However, forecasts for the future are optimistic: yes, there are a lot of problems with premises, lack of proper funding, legal problems, but libraries are more than just a warehouse of books.