CENSORSHIP AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION:
the Past and the Present
The National Library of Russia, March 16-18, 2005

The International Federation of library associations and institutions (IFLA) - organization, presenting more than 1600 members from 150 countries. It was founded in 1927 in Edinburgh (the Great Britain). This first and most largest international non-governmental association, putting its will aim the assistance a development of library deal.

Committee on liberty of access to information and liberty of expression - special subdivision of IFLA, created to protect and propagandize fundamental human rights, declared in Article 19 General declaration of human rights UNO (http://www.ifla.org/faife/art19.htm).

Committee concerns with problems of liberty of access to information and liberties of expression in library sphere, conducts monitoring the condition of savvy liberty in world library community, develops for IFLA of strategy of development of cooperation with other international organizations in protection of human rights such as UNESCO, PEN International, Article XIX, Index on Censorship, IFEX and Amnesty International.

The main FAIFE purpose consists in increasing the role of intellectual liberty for libraries. IFLA and FAIFE support the cooperation with international associations, organizations or companies.

Contact information
Paul Sturges
FAIFE Chair
Department of Information Science
University of Loughborough
LOUGHBOROUGH LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
Tel. +(44)(1509)223069
Fax +(44)(1509)223053
E-mail: r.p.sturges@lboro.ac.uk

Susanne Seidelin
FAIFE Director
Birketinget 6, 6th floor,
DK-2300 Copenhagen S
Denmark
Tel. +45(32)586066, ext. 532 - direct line: +(45)32341532
Fax +(45)32840201
E-mail: faife@ifla.org, susanne.seidelin@ifla.org

The National Library of Russia in SAINT PETERSBURG - national depository of Russia, oldest state public (available to all) universal library, one of the largest libraries of world, Russian centre of research and methodical work in the field of library science, bibliographies and bibliology.
The studies are conducted in library in the field of history of censorship in Russia in XIXth - begin of XXth centuries, the problems of access to information are developed, and the scientific conferences are carried on.
Different aspects of subject were touched in such collections of articles as "Censorship in Russia: history and the present" (NIa., 2001), "Book deal in Russia in XIXth - begin of XXth centuries" (NIa., 1986-2003), "Censorship in Russia in the end of XIX - begin of XX centuries" (NIa., 2003) and others.

Contact information:
Vladimir R. Firsov, Ph.D.
Deputy General Director for researches, The National Library of Russia
FAIFE IFLA member
e-mail: v.firsov@nlr.ru
Tel. (812) 310-86-29

St.Petersburg Branch, Institute of the History of Natural Sciences and Technology (SPB IHST RAS) was founded in August 29, 1953 as Leningrad branch of the Institute (LB IHST AS USSR).
Its predecessors were Commission on histories of knowledge, Institute of history of science and technology, Commission on history of the AS USSR.
Researches of Institute make great work on publishing the heritage of scientists, on studies in the history of biology, astronomy, mathematics, geography, technology, sociology of science, science of science, and history of censorship in science in past and present, conduct the conferences.

Contact information:
Mikhail B. Konashev, Ph.D.
Deputy Director,
St.Petersburg Branch, Institute of the History of Natural Sciences and Technology
Russian Academy of Sciences,
e-mail: mbkonashev@mail.ru
Tel.: (812)328-47-12

Saint-Petersburg state university (SPSU) - most old university of Russia, founded Peter the Great in 1724, is leading scientific centre of country and one of most one of most authoritative high schools of world on preparing the specialists to high qualification.

Faculty of journalism of the SPSU - one of main scientific centres of country, where already much years are led studies of history and practical persons of censorship. At pulpit of history of journalism acts the seminar, dedicated to problems of censorship.
On faculty is created and is read the lecture course "Censorship in past and present"; it is written and already fell a works into scientific turn "Beside thoughts standing up for hours" (Moscow, 2001); "Censors of Russia and censorship" (St.-Petersburg, 2000), "History of censorship in Russia in XIX age", "History of censorship in Russia XIX-XX centuries" (Moscow, 2001) and others.
In 2003 the All-Russian scientific conference "Censorship mode of transition epochs: to bicentenary of F. I. Tutchev, the chairman of Committee of foreign censorship" took place at faculty of journalism.

Contact information:
Gennadii V. Zhirkov, Ph.D.
Managing pulpit of history of journalism of Saint-Petersburg state university,
Tel.: (812) 328-35-34

The Pennsylvania State University was founded in 1855. One of the United States' leading universities, its undergraduate colleges now offer more than 236 baccalaureate and 48 associate degree majors. Graduate study is offered in more than 165 major programs. The University's research, scholarship, and creative activities promote human and economic development through the expansion of knowledge and its applications in the natural and applied sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, and selected professions.
The original student body has grown to 83,177, the faculty numbers 5,325 full-time members. Penn State today offers 10,131 undergraduate and more than 2,002 graduate courses. The University's prime purpose has always been to serve the people and the interests of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States of America.
Penn State is a multicampus public land-grant university that improves the lives of people in Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality programs in teaching, research, and outreach. Its instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education informed by scholarship and research. The degree programs of the University provide students with opportunities to increase their knowledge and understanding of the world and to grow in their individual skills and capabilities for learning, analyzing, creating, communicating, and forming good judgments. Research - in addition to teaching and public service - is a primary mission of the University. A strong research program strengthens both undergraduate and graduate education by building the body of knowledge and experience on which both are based.

Contact information:
Richard Fitzsimmons, Ph.D.
Director of the Library
The Pennsylvania State University
The Worthington Scranton Campus
Dunmore, Pennsylvania 18512-1699 U.S.A.
Phone: 570-963-2632
FAX: 570-963-2635
E-mail: rxf7@psu.edu