Youth Services in Russian Libraries in an Era of Social Change

Youth services in Russian libraries have been provided by different types of libraries subordinate to a number of government departments. This system comprises, first of all, the public, school, and college libraries, which serve the main social subgroups of young adults: students of high schools and colleges, and working young people. Recently, a new type of libraries has appeared. These are private libraries that belong to different societies, national associations, religious institutions, etc. They are very attractive for a certain part of the young adult population. But in Russia, unlike other countries, there is a special network of libraries for young adults which serve all categories of youth. These libraries represent a microcosm where one encounters all the problems of young adult service, permitting us to view the young adult library as a distinct social-cultural phenomenon.