The library of the Centre for Independent Social Research was first established with books drawn from the private collections of the Centre's founders. Many of these bear the author's autograph. Thanks to support by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the commitment of CISR researchers, the library's collection has continuously expanded since its founding. Today the library contains more than 12,000 items.
The main body of the library, the book collection, includes more than 7,000 monographs, reference books and encyclopedias in Russian, English, German and other languages.
The CISR library has a very large section of related news items as well. CISR has a permanent subscription to 70 magazines. The subject collections of articles and documents gathered by CISR researchers during their research work are also available to our readers.
Library acquisitions have been made in keeping with CISR's scientific and research priorities. The collection is organised by subject area, which is reflected in the list of classification headings.

To access the collection, readers can use the e-catalogue, which contains a database of more than 33,000 cards. Theљe-catalogue has both an alphabetical index and a subject search engine; readers can search by subject, author, book or article title and by key words. For the convenience of our readers, the e-catalogue includes the option of building a bibliography. Theљcatalogue contains information about all the incoming materials, including books, theses and thesis abstracts, articles from Russian and foreign-language magazines, subject articles and collected articles.

Today the e-library is being created. In the very near future remote users will have access not only to the e-catalogue but also to full-text resources.

The CISR library has an exchange fund and we would be glad to cooperate with both other libraries and private persons.
Interested parties are encouraged to look through our exchange fund list, choose a book of interest and offer us a book of equal worth in return. All requests will be reviewed and responded to in a timely fashion.

You also can get the following books in the CISR library.

How to use the CISR library

The library provides access to its collection for all interested parties.

• Users are served in the reading-room and can also take books out on loan.
• Access to the stacks is restricted. Use the e-catalogue to find the literature you need.
• Books can be borrowed from the library for 14 days. Renewals can be made personally or by phone.
• Books loans require a deposit of 500 rubles per book.
• In the case of a lost or damaged book, the reader must either replace it with a book of equal worth, or pay a fine in theљamount of fivefold.
• Overdue books are fined 10 rubles per day.
• Encyclopedias, reference books, theses and thesis abstracts, magazines, newspapers, valuable books and manuscripts as well as books from the special list (ask the librarian) cannot be taken out on loan.
  Taking these materials from CISR is strongly prohibited.

Every reader is supplied with a reader's record card (both paper and e-card).

• Literature that is used in the reading-room is recorded in the Reading Room diary lying on the librarian's table.
• Returned library materials should be left on the librarian's table. Putting the books back on the bookshelves is prohibited.
• Use of any library materials without first registering the materials with the librarian is strongly prohibited.

The library is situated in the CISR office.
Work time: from 10.00 to 18.00.
Librarian: Vera Badalyan.
Director of library: Natalia Kravec [send e-mail (please, note "for library")]