Central Scientific Library

The Central Scientific Library was founded in 1804 on the initiative of the
prominent educator, public figure and scholar V. N. Karazin.
The general collection of the library includes more than 3,500,000 items of
educational, scientific literature and periodicals.
The collection of rare editions and manuscripts is included in the State Register of
Scientific Objects of the National Heritage (Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of
Ukraine dated August 28, 2013 № 650- р., “On the classification of scientific
objects as national heritage”, letter of the State Agency for Science, Innovation and
Informatization of Ukraine to the State Informational Science of Ukraine “On
inclusion in the State Register of Scientific Objects of the National Heritage”).
This collection is a particularly valuable part of the general collection of the
Central Scientific Library and already have the status of national heritage and
classifies it as part of the national & global book heritage of historical and cultural
significance.
The most valuable part of the book collection consists of about 85,000 items:
manuscripts, handwritten books, archival documents of the XII-XX centuries
(2,000 items), old printed books of the XV-XVIII centuries (3,4000 items), rare
and valuable editions of the XIX-XX centuries, including personal libraries
(24,000 items), a collection of periodicals of the XVII-XX centuries. The oldest
manuscript in the collection is a Greek manuscript on parchment from the ХІІth
century - a collection of theological treatises by church fathers, interpretations of
the Song of Songs by Solomon, the Book of Daniel, the Book of Habakkuk, and
others.
The Library holds publications of Kharkiv University Printing House founded in
1804. Among them are Ukraine’s first magazines and newspapers, published by
the University Printing House.
There are 4 loan departments and 14 reading rooms for readers, including: reading
room of literature on the history of the university, reading room of reference books,
the Window on America Center, supported by the US Embassy in Ukraine; the

Hellas Center, created with the support of the A. Leventis Foundation (Cyprus);
the Cyril and Methodius Center, opened with the assistance of the Embassy of the
Republic of Bulgaria in Ukraine, and others.
An electronic catalog has been maintained since 1991. Implementation of the
Absotheque Unicode AIBS (developed by the French company Relais
Informatique International), which made it possible to automate all library
processes. In 1996, with the assistance of the International Research & Exchanges
Board (IREX, USA), the Center for Internet Technologies, the first among
Ukrainian university libraries, was opened. In 2003, as part of the U.S. Embassy's
LEAP program to improve access to the Internet, the updated Center for Internet
Technologies was opened.
The library provides open access to full-text resources: the electronic archive
(repository) of the university - eKhNUIR (Electronic Kharkiv National University
Institutional Repository), which presents scientific works of scientists. The archive
has an international classification index ISSN 2310-8665 and is therefore a full-
fledged electronic publication (this resource is constantly updated).
https://ekhnuir.karazin.ua/home
Since 2011, the eScriptorium, an electronic archive of rare publications and
manuscripts for science and education, has been operating, presenting digital
versions of rare publications from the collections of the Central Scientific Library
and partner libraries.
https://escriptorium.karazin.ua/home
In 2018, with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, together with the
Digital Country Company (Kyiv) and the FUTURA Foundation for Culture and
Innovation, a national partnership project was implemented to develop the
Karazin.Back2News Electronic Archive of the Ukrainian Print Press, which aims
to combine digital resources of libraries and archives to provide free access to
periodicals published in Ukraine and the possibility of full text recognition search.
http://back2news.univer.kharkov.ua/

The Central Scientific Library provides access to many world-renowned electronic
databases, which are presented on the library's website.
The Central Scientific Library is a partner of Ukrainian organizations that digitize
historical documents, such as the Digital Country and Archival Information
Systems, is a member of the ELibUkr project “Electronic Libraries of Ukraine”
and the Informatio-Consortium Association for access to electronic scientific
resources, fruitfully cooperates with international organizations and foundations,
and actively develops international relations. It conducts international book
exchange with foreign educational and research institutions. Among the partners
are the Serbian National Library, the Library of Congress, the Academic Library of
the University of Latvia (Riga), university libraries in Poland, Bulgaria, France,
Japan and other countries.
The library cooperates with the Anastasios G. Leventis Foundation (Cyprus),
Goethe-Institut (Kyiv), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, the Consulate General of the
Republic of Poland in Kharkiv, International Research & Exchanges Board
(IREX), the Foundation for Greek Culture (Odesa branch), and national societies
of Kharkiv and Ukraine.
The library promotes the spiritual development of the modern generation. The
library hosts exhibitions of artists from Kharkiv, Ukraine and other countries.
Local history exhibitions, exhibitions about Ukrainians who defend their native
land, and military actions for the liberation of Kharkiv region contribute to the
education of patriotic feelings for our native land. Historical memory is embodied
in annual thematic book exhibitions: “Candle of Memory. The Holodomor of
1932-1933“, ‘Constitution Day of Ukraine’, ‘Independence Day of Ukraine’,
‘Kruty Heroes’ Memorial Day”, “Warrior in the Mirror of Time”, and others.
The Central Scientific Library is a zonal methodological center of libraries of state
higher education institutions of the III-IV levels of accreditation of the Kharkiv
zone (29 libraries of Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy regions).
According to the decision of the Board of University Presidents and on the
initiative of the administration of the Central Scientific Library, the project

Kharkiv Inter-University Reader Card was launched on September 1, 2013. The
single reader card is a universal document that provides free access to collections
and online resources in reading rooms of the libraries participating in the project.
This project gives undergraduate, postgraduate students, faculty and scientists of
universities unlimited access to collections and online resources for study and
research.

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