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The history of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Universal Scientific Library named after Ivan Franko

The first Stanislaviv public library was opened in 1873. It was founded by a political emigrant Vitsentiy Smaglovsky, the Polish rebel against Russian tsarism. He donated the collection of 3,500 books to the town and then became the first librarian. The library was located near the school (now 17, Nezalezhnosti st.).

There is a good reason to consider the first public library as a forerunner of the Stanislav State Regional Library though there is no official document on this fact.

In accordance with the order of the Council of People’s Commissars, the Stanislav State Regional Library, including Children’s Department, was opened on  May 8, 1940. Three small rooms were the previous location of it.

The first director was Vasyl’ Mychailovych Pashnyts’kyi. He used private libraries for book acquisition, collecting rare editions of world and native literature. Later, many unique editions were excluded. There are more than 100 volumes of Naukovi Zapysky (The Scientific Notes) published by T.Shevchenko Society, 8 volumes of Istoria Ukrainy-Rusy (The History of Rus-Ukraine) by M.Hrushevskyi, the Ukrainian translation of the Bible printed by the British biblical society, 16 volume set of T.Shevchenko works and others. Shortly after the State Regional Library was granted its new premises at 1, Pushkin street.

By the temporary fascist occupation of the town Library’s fund has amounted over 240 thousand issues. The library did not work as German and Hungarian officers were staying in the building during the period of occupation. All the books were thrown down the basement. After that, more than 200 thousand books were destroyed.

Our library revival begins in 1944. The library staff has done a great work to organize the fund preservation. All the books were thoroughly dried and classified by librarians. Library’s funds were supplemented with some new additions from Kyiv, the Moscow State Fund, the Moscow book collector for libraries, the Kharkiv State Scientific Library named after V.Korolenko.

In 1946 the Methodical office was established and a year later the Interlibrary Loan started to operate. Every library of our region was supported to promote cultural and educational activity eliminating illiteracy.

In 1956, on the occasion of 100th Ivan Franko anniversary, the library honored the name of one of the greatest Ukrainian poet and thinker.

The library eagers to improve its service for engineers and technicians: a special subdivision – Patent and Standard Sector - has started functioning.
In 1966 Ivan Franko State Regional Library gained its scientific status, gradually acquiring universal profile as well. It has become the central regional depositary of native prints, manuscripts, foreign literature, while providing coordination activity to organize the other regional libraries’ work, and being a scientific or methodical centre at the same time.

During the period of 1975-1980s the centralization of all regional mass libraries into Ministry of Culture system had being held. The Regional Library carried out seminars, prepared regulation documents, giving methodical and practical aid. The scientific research and methodical coordination work were growing. In cooperation of different libraries, sociological research had being run and the best experience of the other regional libraries extended.
Every year the amount of library users was growing up. Throughout 1980s 65,7 % of them were specialists in the field of national economy, culture and art.

In 1981 the Department of Culture and Art Scientific Information was organized. That year our library currently housed 433,688 books, book cassets, newspapers, magazines and other printed materials.

With the emergency condition of the old building and increased size of library‘s collection, the Ivan Franko Regional Universal Scientific Library (IFRUSL) stopped offering its services for visitors. It moved into new premises (17, Vasylianok st.) and fully renewed its activity in 1983.

The revival of Ukrainian national culture and traditions, spirituality, history and ethnographic peculiarities has caused initiating of the Department of Local History Collection. The new opening has become the regional centre on corresponding work and depositary of studies on reginal ethnography.

The library was holding some viewing contests: “The library as Ukrainian cultural centre of communication” (during 1991-1993) and “Get to know your nation, identifying yourself in it” (1996).

In 1995 the building of our library was returned to Sisters’ Vasylianok Monastery, the previous owner of the premises. The library (except the Department of Foreign Literature) stopped servicing its visitors again. Since 1995 the Department of Foreign Literature has been it its present location.( 48, Nezalezhnosti st.).

Since 1996, after indispensable building reconstruction, IFRUSL has been actively working at its new address (22, Chornovola st.).

This building was constructed in 1913. It has got its great history, originally being the People's House, the Samopomich (Self-help) Bank, the Ukrainian Headquarters of town citizens (1918), a branch office of “Prosvita” organization. During 1920-1930s there used to be a place of living of a lawyer L.Bachyns'kyi, the vice-president WUNR (Western Ukrainian National Republic), the Ukrainian radical party leader.The building fronton is decorated with a stone lion leaning on the rock – the town emblem of Galicia. In 2006 the memorial table was fixed on a wall of the building in honor of S.Vintsenz.

Our library is developing a range of services to correspond social needs of the community. New departments and structural divisions are being established here. Some new departments, the Economical and Production Literature and the Art Literature, were opened in 1997. Since 2001 almost every visitor of our library has had access to Internet.

Nowadays the information documentary resources of IFRUSL, available to the public, form half a million issues. Every year more than 20 thousand readers come to our library. At the same time, publishing activity has increased to answer the demand of its popularity among people. Our library is ingaged in the projects of preparing the materials for radio programme Skarbnytsia (The Treasury) and Osvitian’ske slovo (The Teacher’s Word) newspaper heading to help educational reforms.

IFRUSL is not only one of the chief cultural, educational and information institution of Prycarpattya, but also a depositary of regional ethnography editions. It conducts and coordinates important methodological work with all district libraries. The library cooperates with state and commercial institutions, local organizations of the National Society of Ukrainian Artists and the National Society of Ukrainian Writers; museums, theaters, higher educational establishments, public organizations of the city. It is a constant participant of seminars, conferences, international congresses and festivals that take place in our region.

Due to the efforts and creative team-work of the whole staff, under the guidance of Maria Victorivna Alba, the director of our library within 34 years, a high rating of IFRUSL is still being kept.

Alba M.V. is an expert of library work, an experienced manager with a creative method of problem approaching. Looking back on it, IFRUSL, as the main site of scientific and cultural life of our region, is proud of having such an enterprising director. Due to her tireless activity, the role and place of the Library in the life of Ivano-Frankivs’k region increased and strengthened. It is worth saying that Maria Alba was graced with a title of “Hohoured Master of Culture of Ukraine” in 1999 for being an important professional in the sphere of librarianship. In addition to that, she has become the Person of the Year 2001 of the local contest.

IFRUSL is the leading centre of information and business meeting now. It is also known as a place for creative talks of scientific and initiative elite of our land. Different clubs are being run in our library, acquiring the art literary image. For example, “Tsikavi zustrichi” (The Meetings of interest) and “Intelektual’nyi klub tvorchykh osobystostei” (The intellectual club of creative persons) are some of them.

The library’s largely successful work is aimed at realization of series of projects, initiated by Alba M.V., the former director. IFRUSL staff generalizes and inculcates advanced experience in the practical work, taking care of high-quality level of service. There is an automated library information system with access to Internet. Every visitor of our library can find comfortable seating here.

The time has come to take M.Alba’s efforts to another level: fully implement her strategic plan of introducing new technologies into libraries of our region.

A highly professional specialist, Lyudmyla Vasylivna Babiy, heads IFRUSL in the present time. Her entire professional career has been devoted to library work. Being an energetic person, she has gained recognition by the scientific community and creative elite groups of our land.