Russian State Library allowed photographing books and documents

Photo: leninka-ru

Usually in domestic (and not only) photo libraries and video filming are prohibited. But the Russian State Library now allows photographing of any documents, except those that fall into certain categories.

These are publications before 1830, manuscripts, valuable and rare publications, books with a special root structure (for example, the book is not opened by 180 degrees), books with a “do not copy” stamp, and those publications whose state does not allow them to be copied. It is worth noting that the library fund is very large: there are more than 45 million 500 thousand editions in 367 languages ​​in the book depositories.

Also “it is allowed to bring cameras without a removable lens and a tripod and use them for photographing documents without flash and sound signal as agreed with the administration of the reading room / fund”.
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The official blog of the organization says that the library staff themselves cannot get used to the new rules: “As much as this magazine exists, there are so many battles in it on the subject of photographing books with the power and technique of readers. Such a topic is gone, such a topic! No one else will comment after comment, page after page to exhort, conscience and brand the inert us. No, we do not impose a veto. Simply photographing books at the RSL is now possible. For several years now, an experiment has been going on, this relaxation has operated in two departments, and the other day photography will officially be allowed in the entire library. Only the rare books department and the manuscripts department will remain a forbidden zone. ”

The decision was made against the background of "strong public inquiry."