of the Republican Scientific Medical Library
The Republican Scientific Medical Library (RSML) occupies a special place among the centers for information and library support of scientists and specialists of scientific and practical healthcare organizations and educational institutions of the Republic of Belarus.
The history of its foundation is closely connected with the development of librarianship, medical education and science in our country.
On May 29, 1939, People’s Commissariat of Public Health of USSR issued the order where People’s Commissariats of Public Health of soviet lands were asked to develop a plan for organizing a medical library network and by the end of 1940 to provide for the creation of a fundamental library in each region under the regional health department.
In 1940 the separate budget and staff for scientific medical library of Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic were approved. By the order of the director of the Minsk Medical Institute F. Y. Shultz No. 98 dated 10.03.1940, the State Scientific Medical Library at the Minsk Medical Institute was headed by I. B. Simanowski — an outstanding librarian and organizer of librarianship in the republic. It is the date that is rightfully considered the day of the formation of the RSML. Only in the first year of operation, the library’s collection reached 15,000 copies.
In 1941 the work of library was interrupted by the Great Patriotic War. The book fund was almost completely destroyed during the occupation. And only in 1944, by a special resolution of the Council of People’s Commissars of the BSSR No. 426, the activity of the Republican Scientific Medical Library of the People’s Commissariat of Health of the BSSR was resumed under the leadership of S. F. Siarhiejeva.
An important point in the restoration of the library’s activities was to make it the scientific, methodological and organizational center for all medical libraries of the republic.
In April 1945, by order of the People’s Commissariat of Health of the BSSR, taking into account the complete destruction of medical libraries in the regions, it was ordered to organize a regional medical library at each regional health department.
Since 1954 the library became an independent institution and was located in the building of the Minsk Regional Clinical Hospital on Padliesnaja St. (the area of the library was 230 square meters). By order of the Ministry of Health of the BSSR No. 488 of August 20, 1954, M. L. Zhuk was appointed its director.
Since 1975 the library became a branch depositary of republican significance, and a year later celebrated a housewarming in a building specially built for it on 28, Fabrytsyusa St. A tremendous credit for it goes to the director L.N. Pagrabnaja who headed the RSML from 1968 to 1982. Under her guidance, the process of reforming many areas of work began. RSML started to receive a compulsory paid copy of medical books, to acquire all medical magazines, published in USSR, as well as major foreign periodicals. Work has been actively carried out to improve the reference system, as well as the forms and methods of library services for researchers, medical practitioners, postgraduate students and nursing staff.
The formation of the RSML as the main center for the creation of a national medical bibliography, active research work, the organization of a network of medical libraries, and the improvement of reader service occurred in the 60-80s of the last century.
Since the 90s active roll-out process of modern computer technology began in the library. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus has approved the “Project of automation of the Republican Scientific Medical Library” which provides automation of all library-information processes in network mode on the basis of modern telecommunication means, provision of online access to library catalogues to users and free access to the Internet. Tremendous credit for problem solution of automation goes to E.F. Garelava, who headed the library from 1982 to 2001.
Since January 1995, by the decision of the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO), the library has become the WHO Documentation Center on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
Today the RSML, as a modern information centre, does not rest on its laurels but strives to meet the needs and requirements of its users. With the financial support of the Ministry of Health, the library building has been overhauled and modern library furniture and equipment have been purchased. The functional structure of the library has undergone organizational changes: a single point of issue of documents has been created, regardless of their storage location, for the convenience of users there is an open access hall, in which the most valuable and relevant publications are presented. This and much more became possible thanks to V. N. Saroka, who headed the library in 2003-2017.
The library has a local computer network. Remote access to the documents in the library collection is implemented through the electronic catalogue, which provides a multidimensional search of information with the possibility of automatic ordering of documents. The automated library and information system “SAB-IRBIS64” is used for the creation and operation of the electronic medical library, automation of the processes of formation of information resources, their management and preservation. The electronic medical library is presented in the Internet on the library’s website at: www.rsml.med.by.
The RSML actively assists in the development and improvement of the system for providing organizations and specialists with scientific medical information through the introduction, support and development of remote access technologies. The RSML is preparing a full-text database “Modern methods of medical care (diagnosis, treatment and medical prevention of diseases, medical rehabilitation of patients, prosthetics)” (before 2011, a printed analogue was published – an annual collection of instructions and methodological documents “Modern methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases” in 7 volumes), which is available at www.med.by and the information and reference catalogue “Healthcare in Belarus”.
The off-budget activity is one of the aspects of library work today. In accordance with the current legislation of the Republic of Belarus and the Charter of the library off-budget sources of funding are rendering of paid library and information services to users, printing and publications, scientific and information works under the contract, sponsorship as well as rental of premises. The amount of income from off-budget activity is about 1/3 of the public funding of the library.
The existence of a certificate of State registration of the library as a publisher, producer and distributor of printed materials and also its own printing facilities makes it possible to provide such services as the publication of scientific, reference and advertising publications; literary, technical editing and artistic design of publications; operative preparation and reproduction of small-circulation documents, blank and presentation products and electronic databases.
Since 2005 the RSML is the participant of the Consortium uniting medical libraries of Russia and Belarus on implementation of the projects «Central catalogue of periodicals and analytics on medicine» and «The medical authority file «Health professionals of Russia» («Health professionals of Belarus» is the component part).
Since 2006 Medicine Museum of Belarus has been a structural piece of the library on the basis of the order of the Ministry of Health of Republic of Belarus No. 640 of 31.10.2005.