Historical discourse of the methodology of state printing statistics: based on the example of children’s books registration in the 20 - 30s of the 20th century

The article covers methodology development aspects of state printing statistics and search and summarization of unpublished archival materials based on the children’s books under the reported criteria. To make the discourse objective at the beginning of the state printing statistics methodology formation process a historical method and partly a method of typology are used while presenting the registration criteria of the state printing statistics according to the year of publishing. It makes the display of the typological aspect and the specialties of the methodology of printing statistics of children’s books. Through the content analysis the common features in applying the criteria of printing statistics of children’s books in the period of 1931-1936 have been shown. Overall the study found that in the 20-30s of the XX century the staff members of the Ukrainian Book Chamber have developed a methodology of state printing statistics. What is more, the study deduces that the studied period was the time of the formation and the incipience stage of the state printing statistics in Ukraine, search of its organizational forms and the best methods of work. This is corroborated by establishing and approbation by the Chamber of literature classification principles according to language particularities and publishing groups. During the investigated period there was a constant search for new criteria of statistical registration in order to improve the methodological basis of state printing statistics. Detailing of children’s books statistic indicators in 1931-1936 illustrates an active search for optimization and unifi cation of statistical registration of printing. Thus, іn a short time, having no such precedent in the creation of a state bibliography, the Ukrainian Book Chamber in the 20s of the XX century applied the new methodological basis for bibliography of printing products and statistical registration, which laid the foundation for methodological and instructive materials of the whole Soviet printing statistics.