In modern conditions, due to objective reasons, the role of humanitarian research is intensifying to prevent the levelling of national culture and distortion of the foundations of spiritual and moral values of the peoples of Russia. The article emphasizes the importance of historical and library research in solving the urgent tasks of preserving historical memory. It tells in detail about historical and library research in the National Library of Russia, shows their connection with historical and bibliographic research. The significance of the “Sample Provision on the Organisation of Research Activities of the Central Library of the Subject of the Russian Federation” (2023) is revealed. It is emphasized that it is necessary to move from works reflecting individual historical facts to the systematic disclosure of the influence of libraries on the formation of the cultural environment of regions and the country as a whole, which corresponds to the new directions in the state cultural policy.

The authors of the article provide the main statistical indicators of the output of domestic printed periodicals in the first half of 2023, analyzing the current state and trends in the development of this sphere in Russia. 10 tables with comments give an idea of the number of printed newspapers (6159) and magazines (5440), their circulation (1.7 billion copies of newspapers and 277 million copies of magazines) and topics. Special attention is paid to the typological characteristic of the content of these publications.

In scientific institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences special attention is paid to accounting of publications of employees. One of the most widespread information resources allowing to obtain information about publications of a particular scientist remains personal bibliographic indexes, both in printed and electronic form. The article considers biobibliographic indexes on soil science from the collection of the Central Library of the Pushchino Scientific Centre, a department of the Library of Natural Sciences (LNS) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, independently published for jubilee dates of scientists by students and relatives of researchers. The advantages and disadvantages of these indexes as resources for information and bibliographic service are noted.

In the article devoted to the famous bibliographer and local historian Boris Timofeevich Utkin (31.07.1923—21.09.1996), his contribution to the development of Russian bibliographic thought, bibliographic technologies, compilation work, to the popularization of bibliographic work, to the study of the history of libraries of the Urals is considered. Utkin’s school, which emerged in the 1970s, is still active. The methodology of bibliography of local history documents developed by him is used by specialists in creating branch and subject bibliographic resources. B.T. Utkin became the first historian of librarianship in the Urals. Thanks to his publications a number of modern researchers appeared, new facts and events were found, unknown names of librarians-activists were discovered. B.T. Utkin’s popularizing activity in the field of bibliography has no precedents. In the book “Amusing Bibliography”, written together with I.G. Morgenstern, a multidimensional professional image of the bibliographer is presented. The memory of the scientist and practitioner is preserved in the libraries of the region and the Chelyabinsk State Institute of Culture.

The article for the first time investigates in detail the issue of two copies of the socalled “Catherine’s Korans”, kept in the National Library of Russia (NLR). More than 7 thousand copies were published in St. Petersburg in 1787—1797. It was the world’s first example of a printed Koran, prepared in accordance with Muslim traditions. These books were published after vast territories with Muslim population were adjoined to Russia, which was of great political importance. The article examines the Koran, which was received by the NLR from the Imperial Hermitage Foreign Library at the end of 1861 — the beginning of 1862, and for the first time introduces information about the Koran belonging to the famous bibliophile General P. Sukhtelen, which came to the NLR in 1836. On the basis of comparing of two copies of the Koran it is concluded that the holy book of Muslims from Sukhtelen’s library belongs to an earlier edition than the Koran from the Imperial Hermitage Foreign Library.

22 letters of 1900—1918 by D.V. Ulyaninsky (1861—1918) addressed to bibliophiles, publishers and collectors are published: B.S. Bodnarsky, L.E. Buchheim, N.P. Likhachev, M.Ya. Paradelov, P.K. Simoni, A.S. Suvorin, V.K. Trutovsky, V.G. Ulyaninsky. They are kept in the Department of Manuscripts of the Russian State Library, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and contain valuable information about the formation and fate of the library, as well as the collection of ex-libris D.V. Ulyaninsky, his publishing activities, cooperation with public organizations, personal ties, lifestyle and style of communication. These sources can be used to study the history of bibliophilia, bibliography, antique book trade and in general the intellectual life of Russia in the early XX century.

. In commemoration of the 85th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Russian librarian Yu.N. Stolyarov, a bibliographic list of his works for 2008—2023 is published. It includes 500 titles (monographs, textbooks, composing works; articles, reports, reviews; foreign publications and translations; publications published under the scientific editorship of Yu.N. Stolyarov). The bibliographic list of publications about the scientist with the same chronological coverage includes 75 titles. In addition, a brief description of the special role of Yu.N. Stolyarov in the development of the theory and practice of librarianship, bibliography and book studies is given. This publication continues the bio-bibliographic index published by Nauka Publishing House in 2008 for the 70th anniversary of the scientist.

The review of the eleventh issue of the series “Russian Historians of Science and Technology”, published since 2005 under the auspices of the S.I. Vavilov Institute for the History of Natural Science and Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHNST RAS), is presented. It is called “Samarin Alexander Yuryevich: materials for bio-bibliography” (Moscow, 2023) and is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of A.Yu. Samarin, the famous historian of books and book business, bibliographer and librarian, historian of science, organizer of research, Deputy Director General for Scientific Publishing of the Russian State Library, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation. He has also been successfully cooperating with the IHNST RAS for a long time, being concurrently the chief researcher of the Department of Historiography and Source Studies of the History of Science and Technology. The review reveals the main content of this collection, which in a multidimensional and multifaceted way shows the role and place of A.Yu. Samarin in organizational, scientific and educational activities for the benefit of the Russian book culture, as well as introduces readers to little-known details of his life path. Special attention is paid to the diverse author and editorial activities of A.Yu. Samarin (including as editor-in-chief of the Bibliography magazine, which, after the inclusion of the Russian Book Chamber in ITAR-TASS, was published as an independent publication in 2015—2020). It is concluded that the publication of the index is an important milestone in the development of book, library and bibliographic knowledge about the history, current state and prospects of Russian book culture.

The review of the monograph of the Doctor of Philology N.D. Kochetkova “Dedications in Russian publications of the 18 century: research, texts, bibliographic index” (Moscow; St. Petersburg, 2020) is presented. The content of this scientific work, which is important both for the history of Russian literature of the 18 century, and for bibliography, book studies and related humanities, is revealed. It is noted that the dedications reflect the most diverse aspects of the life of writers of the Enlightenment era: from client-patronage relations with government officials to friendships and family unions. This fact makes them an important source in historical and cultural research. The monograph analyzes dedications to various recipients: members of the royal family, dignitaries, heads of educational institutions, representatives of the clergy, women, friends, relatives, scientists and writers. An important component of the monograph is a detailed index of dedications in publications of the 18 century, including about 1780 items. It is a contribution to the bibliography of the Russian book of the 18 century and creates prospects for further research of dedications within the framework of literary studies, cultural history, and book studies. It is concluded that the monograph by N.D. Kochetkova will be a reference book for specialists studying Russian in the 18 century.