Demand for Contemporary Ukrainian Books in Public Library Funds: Results of Sociological Research

Abstract

The purpose of the article — to determine the reserves for improving the quality of library stock and the effectiveness of reading promotion based on the analysis of the results of sociological research of the subscription department of the Ivan Franko Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Universal Scientific Library. The methodology. There were used the principles of systemic and socio-communicative approaches, that made it possible to identify the library as an intermediary in the chain “fiction — library — reader”, to establish the links of interaction and mutual influence between the information needs of users and the quality of the collection of library stock. The application of sociological and statistical research methods enabled to establish the peculiarities of the chronological, geographical, genre, problem and thematic structure of the fund of modern Ukrainian-language fiction published in 2000–2020, to identify the sections of the fund with the greatest and least reader demand. The results. The study of the peculiarities of the use of certain genres of fiction permitted to determine that in 2000-2020 the most requested were: adventures, travels, detective stories — 97.4%; sentimental literature — 95.7%; motivational books — 95.2%; historical literature — 94.3%; fantasy, mysticism — 94.2%; books about the war in Ukraine 2014–2020 — 94.1%; journalism — 86.4%. The necessity of library activities regarding the systematic formation of reading culture, education of the need and skill of meaningful reading has been proven. The scientific topicality. It is justified that the special attention of the workers of subscription department of Ivan Franko Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Universal Scientific Library should be given to supplementing the stock with modern Ukrainian-language fiction publications, published in 2020–2023, popular among users, to promote advertising activities regarding the fund of foreign Ukrainian-language literature and editions of Ukrainian classics through the creation of genre and topical open access reading zones in libraries in order to bring the book closer to the reader; consistent and systematic popularization of reading fiction through the organization of book exhibitions, presentations, literature reviews, etc. Among the effective measures to popularize the works of undeservedly forgotten authors are exhibition cycles: “The Name I Have Discovered”, “In the Circle of Friends”, “Ukrainian Literary Olympus”, “Events of the Book Year”, “Lonely Books Want to Meet”, etc. The participation of libraries in a publishing project such as the literary in-folio “Time to read” is also productive (for everyone who loves books — about what is worth being read nowadays). The practical significance. The results of the study can be used by Ukrainian libraries in the process of improving the quality of stockpiling of modern fiction, planning a system of measures to popularize reading for the period till 2032 within the implementation of the “Reading as a life strategy” (2023) state program.