Contridution of representatives of nobility of zemsky institutions to development of librarianship of Kharkiv province (1864–1914)

The aim of the work is to investigate the activities of the nobility in the local selfgovernment bodies who have made a significant contribution to the development of library science in Kharkiv province. The methodological basis of this work is the regional approach to the problem of determining the role of noble councilors in the organization of the zemstvo out-of-school education. The problem-chronological method allowed to establish the chronological frameworks of the work and to determine the sequence of changes of the investigated question. The historical method allows to explore the processes of the origins and formation of zemsky libraries. With the help of the comparative analysis we find out the differences in the activity of zemsky councilors of Ukrainian provinces in the field of out-of-school education. Scientific novelty. For the first time the analysis of the activity of the councilors from the nobility in the bodies of zemstvo selfgovernment on the development of librarianship in Kharkiv province was conducted. It has been proved that the efforts of the nobility aimed at creating libraries at colleges and schools, organization of the teacher's libraries and free public libraries, as well as conducting readings and classes in the evening and Sunday schools, directly contributed to the growth of literacy among the population. Conclusions. During 1864–1914, school, teacher's and public libraries, reading halls and bookstores were opened and broadened in Kharkiv province thanks to zemstvo institutions. The out-of-school activity of Kharkiv zemstvo completely depended on the personalities of the councilors of zemsky councils, which initiated projects for the development of library construction. This gives us the right to assert that the councilors from the nobility were the main driving force of the zemstvo in the staging of the public librarianship of Kharkiv province.