Congratulation by Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan A.M. Sibagatullin on the All-Russia Day of Libraries

Dear librarians! Dear readers

I heartily congratulate you on the All-Russia  Day of Libraries. The holiday symbolizing   recognition  by the  society and the state   a high  role of libraries - the main guardian  of priceless literary heritage of the people.

 2015   is in progress, announced by Presidential Decree  the  Year of Literature. This year  it  is  called  to draw the attention of our society,  which  always  has been one of the most  reading  in the world, to  challenges of modern times. The development of reading and book publishing,  improvement of  literary process and library service - all these issues largely relate to the management of libraries.

The Republic of Tatarstan - the largest center of literary and book culture in Russia. The fate of prominent people  - Kul Gali and Utyz Imyani, Shigabetdina Marjani and Rizaetdina Fakhretdin, Leo Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky, Tukai and Jalil, Eugene Boratynsky and Gabriel Derzhavin, Marina Tsvetaeva, and many others is liked with Tatarstan. For centuries, the Tatar printed book, the earliest among the books of the Turkic world, is  a hallowed  spiritual value, contributing to the preservation and development of our people. Our ancestors kept the book - like bread - wrapped in a white cloth. Such respect for the book, we must  preserve  today. It is our history, wisdom of the ages, the lessons of the future.

Celebrating this year the 150th anniversary of the world's largest repository of literature in the Tatar language - the National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan, we are pleased to note that the change of generations and the advent of information technologies did not affect the demand for libraries.

I express my sincere gratitude to all the librarians of the Republic for the constant search for new solutions, forms and methods of work, relentless inspired work, contribute to the development of culture of the Republic of Tatarstan. I wish you, as well as numerous readers good health, success and prosperity!