The expert evaluation of the manuscript and book heritage within the framework of Ukrainian legislation: current state and future prospects

The aim of the research is to provide analytical outlook of the norms and regulations of the Ukrainian legislation concerning handwritten and book heritage, its preservation, scientific expertise and value assessment as well as proposals for its improvement. The methodology of the research is based on a systematic approach, structural and functional analysis of legislative acts concerning the manuscript and book heritage, scientific expertise and value assessment thereof. This approach provides a necessary toolkit for analysis of reflection in the legislation of such concepts as cultural heritage, handwritten and book heritage, monuments, cultural values of national cultural heritage, national library collections, scientific expertise and expertise of the value of handwritten and book heritage. The scientific novelty of the research. For the first time the evaluation of handwritten and book heritage as a separate definition in the legislation and regulation of all issues related to it is considered; the paper emphasises the lack of concepts of cultural heritage of the depositaries of libraries and the National Library Fond of Ukraine in legal norms and regulations. Conclusions. Due to the imperfection of Ukrainian legislation, there is no unified register of historical and cultural heritage - a consolidated database of cultural values that would perform the function of state registration, centralised accounting and protection of monuments at the national level. There is no clear regulatory framework regarding the value assessment and the registration of manuscript and book heritage. Therefore the current agenda should include the legislative update of the definition, composition and content of the National Library Fond as a phenomenon of cultural and unique heritage; the revision of terminology; provision of precise definitions of cultural heritage and the national cultural heritage; development and enforcement of legal regulations ensuring the preservation of the manuscript and book heritage, and provision of free access to it.