1920
YEAR
29102

TO THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF HEALTH

8 July 1920

According to information in my possession, you are storing film for photographic and cinematographic work without using it.

Given the acute need of the Photographic and Cinematographic Department of the People's Commissariat of Education and a number of urgent tasks at hand which have great agitational significance, I request that you transfer at least part of your supply to the Photographic and Cinematographic Department of the People's Commissariat of Education.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars

V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

*Published according to the original manuscript signed by V. I. Lenin.

ON THE DRAFT DECREE OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS
"ON THE CENTRALIZATION OF LIBRARY AFFAIRS IN THE REPUBLIC"

* 4885

MEMORANDUM TO THE LITTLE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

15 July 1920

I refused to sign because it is sweeping and unclear. I propose that it be redone more precisely (what exactly and concretely does "incorporate into the network" mean?) and together with instructions be submitted a second time*.

Lenin

* In the draft adopted by the Little Council of People's Commissars on 22 June 1920, it was provided—for the purpose of eliminating duplication of effort and proper utilization of all available book resources and their even distribution—that "the libraries of all public organizations and institutions be incorporated into the general library network of the Departments of Public Education." All newly opened libraries by public organizations were to be obligatorily included "in the general network of public libraries."

The document is published according to the manuscript of V. I. Lenin (received from TsGAOR, packet 1827).


29252

ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS TO THE DRAFT DECREE
WRITTEN BY N. K. KRUPSKAYA

3 November 1920 recognize as absolutely necessary ✓ as well as other
departments all, without exception, central and local institutions central and local, entering
work under guidance this work
? see at the end?

1) Given the colossally increased demand for books over recent years and the continuing growth of this demand, the Council of People's Commissars decrees: to direct special attention to* the organization of public use of books, without which books will never be accessible to the broad masses of the population.

2) To this end, all libraries under the administration of the People's Commissariat of Education ✓ are combined into the Unified Library Network of the RSFSR, which operates according to a definite plan, establishes the basic types of libraries, connects them by means of traveling collections, organizes the exchange of books between libraries, and in this way brings books closer to the reader—the worker and peasant**.

3) Given the acute book shortage and the quantity of book resources being completely inadequate to the enormous demand, any duplication of effort is inadmissible in library affairs. Therefore, the libraries of all other departments, public organizations, and institutions must likewise enter into the Unified Library Network and work according to a common plan, under the control of the People's Commissariat of Education.

4) To coordinate library work, an inter-departmental commission is created under the People's Commissariat of Education, composed of representatives of the departments and organizations conducting this work.

5) This commission decides questions concerning the reorganization of certain types of libraries, concerning the redistribution of book resources, concerning the transfer of certain types of libraries to the administration of the People's Commissariat of Education, and concerning the opening of new libraries upon the request of departments and organizations (of course with their inclusion in the general network).

6) The libraries of all departments and organizations must be transformed from closed to open institutions—that is, become libraries for public use, accessible to all citizens.

* The words underlined here in the original manuscript were crossed out by V. I. Lenin and replaced with new text.

** V. I. Lenin corrected the end of this phrase: "this network must work according to a definite plan, establish the basic types of libraries, connect them by means of traveling collections, organize the exchange of books between libraries, and in this way bring books closer to the reader—the worker and peasant."