The Russian State Library operates online throughout April

In compliance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation N 239 (dated 2 April, 2020) «On measures to ensure sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the Russian population amidst the novel coronavirus infection outbreak», the Russian State Library will provide reader services online until 30 April.

The RSL is currently not accepting applications for the e-delivery of documents from its collections. All applications that have already been submitted will be processed on the first business day after the re-opening . In addition, the online chat is suspended until 30 April.

However, we are trying to expand the range of services available for our readers via the Internet. Anyone above the age of 14 (Russian citizen or not) can apply for the RSL reader pass online . In order to obtain the pass, you must provide electronic copies of your passport, university certificate / student card, and a credit card to confirm your identity.

The RSL uses its website and social media to update the audience about books, posters, and other library documents, as well as electronic library collections and virtual tours , which they can see while staying at home.

As of now, the following opportunities are available for RSL readers:

• Access to the world’s leading online resources (for options, see below)

• Access to e-books from the RSL electronic library

  
  

  

  The electronic library provides access to electronic copies of the most valuable and requested publications from the RSL collections. To date, about 1,5 million electronic documents have been digitised, of which more than 690,000 documents are in the public domain, available for reading and copying.

• Free press via the National Digital Library

  

  The National Digital Library is a single portal and search engine, which unites the collections of Russian libraries. The NDL encourages Russian citizens to keep up with the main events and trends of business and socio-political life by providing free access to the latest magazines and newspapers.

• Virtual RSL exhibitions

  

  The Ivanovsky Hall of RSL is a modern exhibition space where the library collaborates with the country’s leading cultural institutions. Users have a chance to see rare artifacts and digitised documents from the past exhibitions, scroll through entire books and albums, and listen to lectures held as part of projects (for example, exhibits «Books of the Old House» ( pre-revolutionary children’s books and periodicals), «The Gutenberg Bible. The Beginning of a New Time» (one of the world’s most valuable copies of the Gutenberg Bible, as well as other rare incunabula and paleotypes) and «City Spectacles. Russian Posters of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries» (posters, wrappings, and price lists, illustrating the diversity of early commercial advertising).

• Lectures by Arzamas and RSL

  The RSL and the educational platform «Arzamas» have organized several series of lectures ( 2017—present ) that are now available on the RSL YouTube channel : «West and East: the History of Cultures», «The Art of Seeing: 8 Lectures on Paintings, Photographs, Museums, and Buildings», «Superstitions, Fears, and Passions: 8 Historians and Anthropologists», «The History of Cinema — the History of the Country: 1920—2000» (ongoing).

• Podcasts by RSL librarians

  Librarians will talk about the rarities and treasures of the country’s biggest library, read fairy tales that children from the royal family once read, conduct audio tours of the RSL reading rooms, and talk about their work and favorite books.

Access to world’s leading online resources

Some of the most re-known national and international scientific platforms and publishers have opened access to their content:

• Annual Reviews
• Annual Reviews Electronic Back Volume Collection
• Library and Information System «Znanium»
• Electronic Library of Polytechnic University (Saint Petersburg)
• Project MUSE
• RSL journals : «Bibliotekovedenie» (Library Science) and «Observatoriya Kultury» (Observatory of Culture)
• Springer Nature journals
• Russian Academy of Sciences journals
• Professional reference systems «Techexpert»

The full list of resources is available on the RSL website. There are several access options indicted in the table: free access to anyone ( green text «free access» ); limited access to some materials ( orange dot ), access with an RSL account ( green house ), access to RSL readers with prior subscriptions ( green letter «i» ).

The library is in talks with the publishing community and electronic database developers to expand remote access options to online resources.