One hundred years of Yakub Kolas Central Scientific Library of Belarus National Academy of Sciences: The areas of focus

The authors examine the two focus areas of the Central Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, namely, information support of scientific research and scientific communication. They are inseparably connected with the library’s history. The library has been always focused on supporting scientific research and research teams. At the present stage, this support is actualized through collection development and acquisition of traditional information resources, online access and databases, through onsite and offsite library services. The services of the library are characterized. Library automation and digitalization are in the focus of the library specialists. The authors discuss the library's research activities, in particular, in the field archeography and bibliometrics. They also analyze the structure of the Belarusian Encyclopedia website. The methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, and generalization are applied. The library is the hub of information and knowledge, professional and interpersonal communication, and preservation of scientific and cultural heritage. The library balances the traditions and innovations, which facilitates the progress, unites the generations of scientists, and supports interaction of scholar schools. The findings of the study will be useful for libraries and library educational institutions.