Project “Retrospective conversion of the RSAL subject catalogue”

For seventy years, the librarians have been working at the subject catalogue, supplementing it with monographic and analytical entries.

 The subject catalogue reflecting a wide circle of documents and various arts subjects became a unique source for working with literature on arts and culture. The traditional card catalogue given acquired a special significance owing to the fact that no other library in our country has such a resource. However, because of some intrinsic and external difficulties, the RSAL readers cannot use the catalogue in full measure.

 Not having an analogue in other libraries, the catalogue has been used very intensively for many years, therefore the cards are worn out, and the library has no opportunity to restore them.

Being a search key to the RSAL stocks, the subject catalogue has accumulated a large amount of problems. As a result, the safety of the unique catalogue is under the threat.

 The project designs image electronic copies providing search by subject, author and title. It will enable to organize the library work at a new level and to provide readers with the most efficient and accurate search of information. The predetermined allocation of the electronic array in on-line access will give readers of all categories an opportunity to work in the remote mode.

 The project is counted on two years, 2007-2008.