Book publishing: ‘Library employees: gender viewpoint’ published

In June ‘LIBERIA-BIBINFORM’ publishing house issued the ‘Library employees: gender viewpoint’ as a part of ‘Librarian and time. XXI century’ series. The edition is addressed to libraries directors, librarians-methodologists, library scientists, sociologists, teachers and students of the core higher education institutions. The issue’s authors are experts of N. K. Krupskaya Astrakhan Regional Academic Library – director L. V. Kolenko and chief librarian of Research and Methodology Department I. O. Shuminova.

This scientific and practical manual is a result of research work made by N. K. Krupskaya Astrakhan Regional Academic Library in the field of studying of gender processes of Astrakhan regional libraries’ development. The authors apply gender approach as a way of reflecting the history of the regional librarianship.

The first chapter explains the idea of gender approach and accentuates the main reasons why men ‘come’ to libraries and leave them. The second chapter outlines the features of provincial library environment. The special attention is paid to the difference of gender situation in capitals and provinces. The third chapter proposes to reader a model of statistic analysis of libraries’ staff. It summarizes the results of public survey ‘Librarian: a man or a woman? ‘Pro’ and ‘Con’. The working program of the survey, its instruments and questionnaire sample are given as well as some ‘portraits’ of particular Astrakhan librarians, their character, talents, social position.

The textbook is intended for a wide range of experts interested in the history of the national librarianship and cultural environment in the Russian regions.