Conducting Research in Russia: Introduction
Using the Libraries: Access
Finding & Obtaining Materials
Online Catalogs
Major Russian Libraries
Very few Russian libraries are computerized. Be prepared to work with a card catalog. Like American card catalogs, cards are arranged alphabetically by author, title, and subject. Items are retrieved by the classification number in the upper left-hand corner of the card. The classification is called BBK (pronounced [be-be-ka], short for Bibliotechno-Bibliograficheskaya Klassifikasiya) in most Russian libraries. BBK is mandatory in many general and university libraries.
The librarians will retrieve the materials you need. When your items are retrieved, you will have your request slip stamped. You'll show this slip to the security desk before you may leave the library.
This is a sample bibliographic card from a Russian card catalog:
