The Lenin State Library

Within the Russian State Library is a unique collection of Russian and foreign documents on 367 languages of the world. Here are specialized collections of maps, notes, audio files, rare books, theses, newspapers and other kinds of publications. The library gives a right to use its reading halls to all citizens of Russian Federation and other countries that reached the age of 18.
Today you will learn how to take a book in the Library, watch the book storage and the secret tunnel to the Kremlin.

To get into the library you should have a library card, it is given in the second entrance. You should at once define the reading hall where you will get books. In five minutes the card is ready. You need not more than 10 minutes to get a card.

The entrance. The RSL is guarded by a special police regiment. Turnstiles are one of the last novelties in the library, and they are treated in different ways by the readers.

If you have a list of books – that is you know which books you need – go to the catalogue hall.

The library collections count more than 43 mln units.

There are always consultants in the hall who may help you  not to get lost in a huge massive of information.

After you have found the proper book in the catalogue you have to receive a demand card from a consultant.

And to write down there the information about the book.

Advanced readers may use electronic terminals of the RSL.









The tunnel where the capsule with the demand card goes. They say it’s a secret tunnel to the Kremlin.

Here you can also read periodicals – there are all magazines that are sold in kiosks including those for the current month.

Every minute five people come into the library.

There is also a nice canteen in the RSL. Some come here to drink some tea in a warm and comfortable atmosphere.

The whole length of book shelves is 275 km.

Meeting hall of the RSL – here the fate of the library is determined – directorate is held weekly, the course of development is defined, decisions are made.

The RSL is the fourth library in the world in the size of the collection. The first place takes the British Library – 150 mln units against ours 42 mln.

via zyalt