The A. P. Chekhov Central City Public Library is the oldest library in South Russia and it was openon the 23rd of May, 1876. The library history pages stir up one’s exceptional pride associted with the name of A. P. Chekhov who became its reader from the fist days of its opening. In 1879 Chekhov left Taganrog for Moscow, but he doesn’t lose the relations with the native town. He is concerned about the library during his lifetime: sending books and in 1899 he was elected as an honoraryadmi-nistrator of the library. When he dies in 1904, the library was named after him. The historical building of the library was built in 1914 according to Mr. F. O. Schechtel’s design, the Moscow academician, who was an architect and friend of A. P. Chekhov.
In 1920s the Library became a centre where the books were being brought from the estates and mansionsabandoned by their owners. During the years of the Great Patriotic War and the period of the German occupation of the city (1942-1943) the librarians were doing their best to keep andsave the library holdings.
The A. P. Chekhov Central City Public Library possesses the unique holdings which are the most valuable historical source and information resource of the Don area. The marerials are kept in the library holdings as follow:
- rare and valuable editions including books presented by A. P. Chekhov and other writers;
- collections of the personal libraries: A. P. Chekhov, N. F. Shcherbina, N. V. Kukolnik;
- collections of the Russian books of the civil press (1708-1800);
- books presented to the Library by well-known literary men and public figures throughouta century and a half;
- books in many foreign languages of the world including the Chekhovian books;
- Russian and foreign writers’ books with authographs.
Since 1979 the A. P. Chekhov CCPL has been leader of the Centralized Library System and is the Methodolodical Centre for the libraries of the city. The Library has acquired a new status of the public’one since 1995. The A. P. Chekhov Central Public City Library was repeatedly a winner of seminars and contests The Library of the Current Year, two grantsThe A. P. Chekhov’s Commemorative Internet-Centre (The Soros Foundations InstitutionThe Open Society) and A. P. Chekhov in the World Information Field (The R.F. President’s Grant)were received.
Through a period of some years the A. P. Chekhov CCPL is being a participanr of the Regional Corporative Project The Master Catalogue of the Libraries of the Rostov region.Today the Library combines information, culture-enlightenment, education, and methodological functions and also carries on the best traditions underlain by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.
The main task of the Library is to provide an access to sources of information, improve quality of services and extend the range of services provided, satisfy informational, cultural and social needs of users-readers;provide every user with maximum possibilities for acquiring knowledge and cultural and educational leisure.
By the 150th Anniversary of A. P. Chekhov a large-scalereconstruction of the Library had been carried out, a new modern building had been built, specialized computers had been purchaged, and it was the most important that a project The Computerized Hardware-Software System had be implemented using the A. P. Chekhov Central City Public Library base The Electronic Library.
A new standard of quality of the information services of the Library had been reached. The Library-Information System was equipped with up-to-date computers and server hardware. A fiber-optic communication line was connected to the building of the Library to provide high-speed communication with the Internet.The structuredcable system was laid along all the buildings of the Library, and this system unifies a local computer network, allocated power supply and video surveillance systems. A uniquescanner assembly - (KTSK21ST Kirtas SkyView scanner) – had been purchased to build an electronic library The Taganrog Collection of Books that allows to digitize not only rare and valuable books but also the holding of old newspapers. For remote users on the Library site www.taglib.ru access is open to The Taganrog Collection of Books– the electronic images of the most valuable rare local history editions, the master catalogue of the Municipal Institutions of CultureThe Centralized Library System, The Electronic Local History Catalogue and also to the Articles Catalogue of the Periodicals.
The comfort conditions are provided for users-readers who want to study educational activities and scientific efforts. The specilized departments of the Library are equipped with the computerized working places (more than 30 PCs) for independent user’s work. The Library users’ access is free and open to the Internet and to the Russian and foreign electronic resources. At the reading hall of the A. P. Chekhov the users have a free access to the Internet by means of the Wi-Fi technology. One of the advanced services of the modern libraries, an electronic delivery of E-form documents becomes frequently asked for.
In 2010 the A. P. Chekhov CCPL started delivering the municipal services in E-forms. Today there are 16 specilized departments in the library structure. A leading place in carrying out users’ requests of information is taken byas follows: The Legal and Economic Information Centre, The Local History Information Centre, The Electronic Resources Centre, The Information-Bibliography Department, The Computer Hall.
In 2010 the Municipal Institution of Culture The Centralized Library System of the city of Taganrog including the A. P. Chekhov CCPLjoined The Russian Library Association.
The A. P. Chekhov Central City Public Library is a
cultural and leisure centre of the city of Taganrog. The Book and Film
Festivals, the Literary and Musical Evening Parties, Poetical meetings, first
nights and presentions of books take place here; the Library Users Clubs are
also functioning. The library activity is many-sided - personal and collective expositions
ofvisual arts, applied craftmanship pieces, children’s drawings, photo
exhibitions, book thematic shows.
