History of the library

Pavlodar Region is the land of rich historical and cultural traditions. In the region consistently implemented policy of support and development of library services for the population, every third inhabitant of our region is the reader of the library.

The fate of Regional Library is inextricably linked with cultural, spiritual and educational life of Pavlodar Priirtyshie. In the history of the library affected the whole complex history of our country: the life of the uyezd town, revolution, Civil War, collectivization, the Great Patriotic War, virgin, years of stagnation, perestroika, the construction of the independent Kazakhstan.

Pavlodar Regional Scientific Universal Library has a long history. The biography of the oldest library began in 1892. By the decision of the town’s authorities and with merchant Artemiy Derov’s donations a “Town Public Library” was opened. Money for forming the book stock was gathered on donation evening parties.

The library was placed in the building of “Noblemen’s Assembly” located at Meschansky Sidestreet (nowadays M. Isinaliyev Str.). A set of rules of the library was adopted. It said that “it is forbidden to read the books inside the library and one have to take book home”. The books were given out on Mondays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. A person had to pawn 3 rubles, which, however, could be substituted by “a guarantee of people known at the library”. Moreover, 60 kopecks were taken for using a book. The right of free use was given only to poor graduates of tree-year school.

In the book “Guide to Siberia for 1899” there is evidence that the first library of Pavlodar had more than 536 titles of various works in 650 volumes. Use of the library has been paid; the readers were 70-80 people. So, in 1897, the library used 69 males and 9 females, in 1900 - 48 men and 4 women.

In 1896 the library got the status of Uyezd (District) library. This year we take as the one of beginning of our history. That time the book-stock of the library had 5475 items of books and magazines. Poor town budget couldn’t meet the needs of the library in new books, but every year there was funded 100 rubles for periodicals.

In 1920 a new stage of development of Pavlodar Uyezd Library began, after adoption of the decree “About centralization of library work in RSFSR”. The library got budget financing that let it enrich the stock and to organize 10 box-libraries with 3500 books. The mobile libraries were actively used in distant auyls for campaigns against illiteracy and for educational purposes and attracting readers to “red yurts”.

Since 1929, our library became county, from 1932 - district. In 1938, in connection with the formation of Pavlodar region, the library receives the status of the regional library.

In 30s the city population grew considerably what caused an active development of stationary form of service, visual agitation: posters, exhibitions, photomontage, etc. Such events as aloud readings, discussions, self-education clubs took place in the library.

During World War II Regional Library moved several times. In winters there was no fuel for heating. At the price of considerable efforts the library staff, consisting of 4 people, managed to save and enlarge its stock, to regulate the system of home service. The books that the librarians brought to the hospital helped the wounded soldiers to recover faster.

In 1948, the library has been allocated space of the former house of the merchant Tumashev, built in the early twentieth century. In this old one-story house, the architectural monument, there was little use for the successful operation of the main library area happened to be on for nearly fifty years. Now in this building is the Children's Department of Regional Library.

Considerable change in the content of the library’s work came in post-war period. In 1947 Burilov Joseph Dmitrievich was appointed the director. During his direction the first specialized sections of the library appeared. Since 1946 the position of “a senior specialist of cultural and educational work” emerged. According to the records in the “Book of Orders” – “Unauthorized persons are not admitted to the depository” – the latter became a separate department in 1947. On August 31, 1951 a processing department was organized. In 1951mobile library for the first time received a GAZ-51. In the list of members of staff there was a position of a “mobile library worker”, which for many years served Rahimbabin Slyam who together with a driver was to visit the villages that had no library.

In 1951 RUSL became the Lending Department of Library named after V. I. Lenin and received by the Inter-Library Exchanging System 11 books.

In 1951 the library took on the first specialist with higher education M. N. Golubinskaya and M. I. Bubentsova. The team of seven people together with professional librarians started solving the problems that required special knowledge – forming systematic and alphabetical catalogs, arrangement of the book-stock by the decimal classification, introduction of registration documents, etc. Urgent measures were taken for development of the Inter-Library Exchanging System which had instructions received from Moscow in 1946. For the first time a plan was developed to give guidance to district and city libraries, held a seminar for municipal, departmental, school and party libraries. When the library courses were organized library of apprenticeship, which were the only source of manpower rural librarians of Pavlodar Region before the opening of Aksu college.

In 1955 the Department of Methodical Work was organized. For efficient book service of the community, for timely supply of the library specialists with information, a group of information service was organized. Later, in 1957, it became the Reference and Information Department.

In the 50s, to the conquerors of virgin lands, from all over the Soviet Union were sent parcels with books. The library became the owner of many rare books on various branches of knowledge.

In the era of large-scale transformations there was originated Regional Library cooperation with representatives of creative intelligentsia. In 1955 a group of authors of the region, including S. Muzalevsky, O. Kudyshev, N. Panov, V. Molotov, G. Kochetkov, A. Nurshaikhov, V. Smirnov and others, made their own creative alliance – The Pavel Vassilyev Literature Union. The first meeting of the Union took place in the Library. A famous Russian poet Evgeniy Dolmatovsky took part as a guest of honor.

One of the stages of development of the library in 70s is connected with centralization. On June 24, 1975, Pavlodar Regional Soviet of National Deputies adopted the order on centralization of state public libraries. In 1980 14 Central Library Systems were created; they united 514 public libraries.

In the 70s in the library there was opened National University of Culture that was recognized by the population. In 1976, for the organization of University of Culture the library was awarded the Diploma of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR.

Cultural ties of the library with the Armed Forces began in the late 70s, and will not be interrupted today. In 1981, the initiative of Regional Library was awarded “The Certificate of Merit” from Central Workers' Union of Culture of the USSR.

In 1988 the scientific-practical conference “Pressing problems of development of library work of the region in terms of perestroika” had a great repercussion. Such people made speeches as the deputy chairman of Regional Executive Committee V. A. Shershneva, the chief of the Library Department of the Ministry of Culture of KazSSR I. D. Mukoseeva, the magazine correspondent “The Librarian” L. H. Irtuganova, the director of Regional Library M. A. Zhienbayeva and others.

In 1988, by the order of the Ministry of Culture of KazSSR, Pavlodar Regional Universal, Youth and Children’s Libraries united and became the largest in the region – Regional United Universal Scientific Library.

The workers of the Library are continuing the best traditions based by the former directors: T. Baidildin, I. D. Burilov, S. F. Kirsova, L. Z. Shamanina, L. S. Lyamzina, L. M. Grezina.

In 1996 the Library celebrated its centenary jubilee. By the order of akim of Pavlodar Region D. Akhmetov the library was given the building of the former House of Political Education. The same year it was given the name of the prominent Kazakh poet Sultanmakhmut Toraigyrov.

In 2003 the Ministry of Culture, Information and Public Consent chose Pavlodar “The Library Capital of Kazakhstan – 2003” for the Library’s active participation in realization of innovative programs and projects. The Republican conference “New Library for New Information Society. Model Village Library” took place in Regional Library. On this conference a model village library was presented. It was the first model library of the rural area in the Republic – Orlov Village Library.

Nowadays Pavlodar Regional Library named after S. Toraigyrov is one of the best libraries of Kazakhstan. Its book-stock is an outstanding collection of scientific, education, local and fiction literature. More than 32,000 readers visit the Library, about 900,000 books and magazines are charged out annually. Today there are 12 departments in the structure of the Library, every one busy with its own library, information-bibliographical service and cultural-educational activities. Significant events in further development of the Library became the winning in projects’ contest of international funds and institutions: “Model Library of the Region”, “The Internet. E-mail”, and the project “Zhanashyr”.

Since 1993, in Regional Library there are automated main library processes, electronic databases are formed, based on digitized regional editions to create an electronic library, actively introduced the latest technology - RFID technology. Library departments connected to a local network operating workstations, for users there are organized Wi-Fi zone. The library generates a consolidated directory of local history libraries of Pavlodar Region, which contributes to improving the quality of information and library services.

Modern RUUSL named after S. Toraigyrov is the central library of the region, it is the main book custody and depository of the local documents. It coordinates the work of all libraries, performs methodical and information-bibliographical supply of the region’s community.