Libraries in Tatarstan.
information about libraries (only major)

In the Republic there are about 1,800 libraries, including Scientific library of Kazan University (4.8 mln volumes) and National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan (2.8 mln volumes). There is a number of publishing houses, about 600 denominations of books with total edition of some 8 mln copies are published in the Republic annually with 170 issues of periodicals and 30 magazines.

Major libraries include the Science Library of Kazan State University and the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan (NLRT) has a rich history. The basis of the library was laid down by collection of Ivan Vtorov, local bibliophile and connoisseur of our region, that numbered 903 titles and 1908 volumes of books and periodicals. In 1844, the collection was donated to the city by his son N.I. Vtorov, who was a writer, archaeologist and ethnographer, with the purpose to open a public library. However, the opening of city public library took place only on 10th of January (or on 24th of January according to Gregorian calendar), 1865 с.

In 1906, a "branch" of the Public Library for Moslem population was opened in Kazan to become one of the Tatar enlightenment centres in Russia of that time. The initial stock of the branch included editions in Oriental languages and in Russian, and consisted of 915 titles and 1277 volumes donated by people.

The year of 1991 was very important for history of the Library: it got the status of the National Library. Today, the National Library is the main state book depository of national, republic's, Russian and foreign press, a multifunctional library and an information and research institution. It is also a cultural, bibliographic and methodical centre. The Library is the centre of propagation of culture of the Tatar people, a unique public library performing functions of acquisition, preservation and distribution of Tatar books and literature on the republic. The library stock totals over 3 million 200 thousand copies of documents, including 85 000 documents in the Tatar language.

The National Library RT is creating a collection of electronic editions which provide readers access to the most valuable and unique editions. The service of the electronic delivery of documents is provided.
The Electronic Collection was formed in 2002. In 2004 work has been carried out with the financial support of the Russian Humanitarian Scientific Fund.

Kazan University Library has one of the world's most important bibliographical collectons, containing 15,000 manuscripts and more than 3,000 rare books. It was set up in 1809 and originally consisted of the collection of books of Count G.Potemkin, brought to Kazan in 1799, and also large collections of some of the earliest bibliophiles, V.Polyansky and N.Bulich. To these were later added the unique collections of old books and manuscripts of the Solovetsky Monastery. The most valuable books and manuscripts are kept in the special depository of the Library. These include Arabic manuscripts of philosophers and scholars Kholladzha ibn Mansur and Avicenna (11-th century) and Ashshakhrestani (12-th century), a manuscript copy of the Pentateuch, the first Russian printed book "The Apostle" (1564), the "Books of Kingdoms" by Francisco Skorin (1518) and the "Code of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich" (1649). The Library also has a rare collection of 18-th-century books and first editions of works by Pushkin, Griboyedov, Gogol, Nasyri and Tukay.

The periodical editions of the 19-th century are well represented in the Library as well as the literature about Kazan and the surrounding region. The Library is the pride of the University and an invaluable source of information for any researcher. The old building of the Library was constructed between 1825 and 1833 under the supervision of Rector N.Lobachevsky, who was at the same time the Chief Librarian of the University. The Library, which now bears his name, is still growing, and even its new building cannot take all its treasures.

The Scientific Library of Kazan State Medical University was established in 1930 when the medical department of the university became an independent medical institute.

The Technological University`s Library - the fund of The Educational-Scientific Information Center includes about 2 million units of storage. The number of common subscription ticket holder is equal to 15,042 readers, whereas all users of the library's services make 53.000 readers. The number of issued books is equal to 1 million volumes