KSENIA INVERSE
Behind The Bookshelves

Village libraries form a crucial part in the social structure of any village as well as their communal lifestyle. They serve more than a half of Russia's population. Reading is not the main cause for visiting; each library is a centre for education, cultural events and entertainment. The spaces are used for distributing news, celebrating anniversaries and social gatherings.
Many of the libraries are managed by just one employee each, most of them being women. They are the ones in charge of decorating the spaces which is why each library possesses a unique interior.
Village libraries' book funds rarely receive contributions; some funds have but a few hundreds of books available. Mobile data and smartphones have driven the public interest towards digital resources which village libraries often don't have access to. The librarians compensate for the decline of interest in printed editions and the infrequent donations to the funds with organizing various events within the library spaces.

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