The importance of library centers in industrial development of Katerynoslav province at the end of 19th - the beginning of the 20th centuries

The article shows the importance of factory libraries in cultural and educational space of Katerynoslav Province at the end of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th centuries. During stormy industrial development of Katerynoslav an important role was given to libraries as cultural and educational centers functioning as structural units of different enterprises. "Materials on History of People's Libraries of Russian towns and zemstvo collected by Voltare" (1902) became our primary source. The work is kept in ST. Petersburg. At the beginning of the 20th century several libraries were functioning in Katerynoslav Province – Family Club Library of Russian depot (Metallurgical Society), Dnipropetrovsk Metallurgical Factory Library for employees in Kamenskoe village (now Dniprodzerzhynsk), Nizhnedneprovsk Workshops Library. The libraries were aimed at improving literacy among workers and employees and spreading technical knowledge amongst the population of the province as well. The basis of library collections was books and periodicals. Much attention was given to buying periodicals. The factory workers took care of books and they were also responsible for their safety. G. G. Yasukovich (1847–1914), a Polish nobleman, and a State Counselor, was a production engineer and a managing director of the factory in Kamenskoe village. He also acted as a Library Chairman. The engineers of the factory were also in Library team composition. They were responsible for important technical work at their factory and at the same time they supported library science. They were cultural initiators at the factory.