Evolution of the Role of the Library in the Context of Preservating National Languages

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of the library institution in the preservation, dissemination and development of national languages. The author attempted a retrospective, comparative, axiological analysis of changes in the image of the library in accordance with the cultural characteristics of different eras. The main attention was aimed at identifying the linguistic and cultural features of library texts. It has been revealed and substantiated that in the ancient East the library served as a sacralized archive of texts mainly in the ancient Sumerian and Assyrian languages. Linguistic texts of ancient Eastern libraries connected sacred meanings and everyday life. In antiquity, lively dialogue and the dialectical development of thought came to the fore, so the library became a place for debate. The libraries of Alexandria, Pergamon, and private collections contained scrolls in different languages, but many of them were professionally translated into Greek. In medieval culture, the library became a library of one book, the Bible, which was copied in Greek and Latin. In the late Middle Ages, books in vernacular languages appeared in libraries, which contributed to the development of the latter. In modern times, the library becomes a way of education and mass dissemination of national literary languages. In the information age, the library acquires the global features of a «universal library»; the boundaries of the virtual and real space of the library are erased. A modern library acquires many functions: it provides information to users, is a place for holding various educational events, and educational games. In modern Russia, the library institution plays a huge role in preserving the languages of the small peoples of our country. Thus, libraries in all eras play an important role in the formation, preservation, dissemination and development of national languages.