On September 13, 2024, the Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INION RAS) initiated the first interlibrary seminar "The Nature of Libraries and Their Evolution at the Current Stage." The Director of the Central Scientific Medical Library of the First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Chairman of the RBA Section "Automation, Cataloging, Formats", PhD in Technical Sciences B. Loginov, delivered a report titled "What World Library History Tells Us About Their Nature and Evolution." The seminar was held in a mixed format. The presentation covered important issues regarding the existence of libraries, their nature, functions, and demand, as well as statistics on the dynamics of changes in the number of printed books and periodicals, and the rate of change in the number of public libraries in different countries. Predictions about the future of libraries and the functions they should fulfill to remain relevant to society were also discussed. During the discussion, participants addressed current problems faced by libraries and ways to improve the quality of their work. The Head of the Scientific Library of CSU, Janna Garcheva, took part in the seminar "The Nature of Libraries and Their Evolution at the Current Stage."

The information gathered during the seminar will be further implemented to improve the activity of the Scientific Library of CSU.