Library A Week

Slavic and Eastern European Library

2010 no. 43

Library Profile

Library Name: Slavic and Eastern European Library Location: 1408 W. Gregory, Rm 200, Urbana, IL 61801 Type: Academic Mission: The University Library is central to the intellectual life of the University. By providing and stewarding collections and content that comprise a current and retrospective record of human knowledge and by offering a wide array of services, it enhances the University’s activities in creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and addressing critical societal needs. Website: http://www.library.illinois.edu/spx/ LTLS Directory Page: http://www.lincolntrail.info/zin.html Member Since: 1973 An interview with Manager of Slavic Reference Service, Helen Sullivan.

What is unique about your library?

The Slavic library is responsible for the collection of all subjects, in the Slavic languages. We have a lot of continuity in our collection and give our patrons both historical and new materials. We have a huge collection of microfiche, which rivals our print collection in popularity. The Slavic Reference Service is very unique as well. We are funded by the library and the Title VIII grant from the U.S. State Department the purpose of which is to support and expand expertise in the region. We are here for any scholar who needs direction or help and we help people worldwide.

What are the primary goals and objectives of your library?

The library is here to maintain and expand the collection and make it accessible. The reference service is here to reach scholars and grad students and to help them gain access to our collection and others in the United States, thereby supporting expertise in the field.

What cooperative efforts are you currently doing?

In the past, the library had many exchange agreements with Slavic language countries. Now there are vendors in those countries from whom we can buy books directly. We have reference exchanges with Poland and Russia who assist in answering the most difficult reference questions on their countries. We try to attend conferences so get the word out that we are here. We work closely with the Library of Congress and the University of Chicago.

Tell us a story about your library.

We get calls from all over the world, but once, we received a call from the White House. The person was writing a speech for the president and wanted to know the origin of a Polish phrase. We researched the phrase and found that it was the motto of the Polish communist party in its early days. Since he was speaking in Poland to the Solidarity Movement, they decided not to use it.  Another interesting story is one of censorship. We have a lot of encyclopedias in many languages. In The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (Russian language version), there was an entry about Beria. We received a letter from the then Soviet book distributor, with a razor, telling us to take out that entry and supplying us with new pages to put in its place. They thought that we would just make the censorship here. Instead, we put the letter in next to the entry.

If money were no object, what services would you add?

I would add permanent staff positions. We can never have enough people. I would also buy another planetary scanner. We have one from a donation and it is very heavily used, and doesn’t damage the books.

What is popular in your library?

As far as materials, film and microfiche are the most popular, mostly through interlibrary loan. The reference service is very popular as well.

How does your library use online tools to connect to your users?

We have Facebook, a blog, and IM. From our webpage we have research guides. We produce online guides tailored to specific topics for professors and researchers using LibGuides.

Request a visit to your library If you would like to set up a special date for us to visit your library contact LTLS Consultant Michelle Ralston Library of the Week is published by Lincoln Trail Libraries System, 1704 W. Interstate Dr., Champaign, IL 61822 217-352-0047  -   ltls@lincolntrail.info Executive Director: Jan Ison, Editorial and Design Team: Michelle Ralston and David Lottes