BOOK EXCHANGE FUND OF THE SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY AS A BUSINESS CARD OF THE UNIVERSITY

Forming, accumulating, as well as bookkeeping of documentary resources is one of the traditional functions of a modern library. Library book collections are of exceptional importance for the formation of the national cultural heritage of the state. The Book Exchange Fund (hereinafter – BEF) of the Scientific Library of the Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University is a part of its Exchange and Reserve Fund. The department is intended for exchange, redistribution, free transfer of documents to libraries and other institutions. BEFs in libraries acquired a legal status in 1959 when a special resolution of the Soviet government was adopted. The documents began to be redistributed through an Exchange and Reserve Fund, which contributed to the preservation of non-core and duplicate editions in some libraries that could be in demand in other libraries. The mechanism for using documents that are in library exchange funds is defined by The procedure for using documents through exchange library funds. In 1947, a BEF for monographic literature was arranged while a BEF for periodicals was allocated. Nowadays the BEF consists mainly of duplicate editions of the University. These are publications highlighting the history of Odesa National University, the works of the teaching staff of the Humanities and Natural Sciences faculties, as well as publications prepared by the Scientific Library staff. The activities of the Department of Rare books are aimed at researching private collections of the Library. Special attention is paid to the research of Ukrainian books from the stackss of the Scientific Library. Employees of the Information and Bibliographic Department publish bibliographic indexes, both thematic and devoted to personalities. It is worth mentioning that the Scientific library exchanges specialized periodicals with partner libraries. The Library has 17 permanent book exchange partners, namely the higher educational institutions, research institutes, the National V. I. Vernadskyi Library of Ukraine. Since 2020 alone, the Library has received through book exchange 860 copies of books and periodicals and sent to its partner libraries 694 copies of current professional University periodicals. This method of periodicals distribution contributes to the popularization of the academic achievements of scientists of the Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University in the professional community. The content of the BEF is disclosed with the help of a reference apparatus, that is card catalogues and non-annotated bibliographic lists of books and periodicals, posted on the website of the University Library in the section Exchange and Reserve Fund (Book Exchange Fund). The Book Exchange Fund is separated from the main stacks, it is not inventoried and is not used for reader service. The work with the Exchange and Reserve Fund of the Library is ongoing. The Book Acquisition Department is carrying out organization and distribution the documents which come to the BEF, improving the accounting of documents. The Department staff continues processing the reserve part of the Exchange and Reserve Fund selecting copies to replenish the main fund of the Library and removing physically worn copies.