State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine (SSTL)

Overview

The State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine (SSTL; Ukrainian: Державна науково-технічна бібліотека України, ДНТБ України) is the main academic scientific and technical library of Ukraine and a component of the national system of scientific and technical information under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. With a collection of approximately 16–21 million documentary sources, it is one of the largest libraries in the country.

History and Founding

The library's origins date to March 1935, when a Kyiv branch of the USSR State Scientific Library was organized as an interdisciplinary technical library of the Ukrainian SSR. By 1937, the branch held subscriptions to 200 Soviet and 300 foreign scientific journals. After wartime disruption and the destruction of Kyiv, the library was reopened in 1947. In June 1960, it was reorganized as the State Republican Scientific and Technical Library (SRSTL) by decree of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR. Following Ukrainian independence, the SSTL reoriented its activities toward serving science, education, and business, becoming a national data bank of the world's scientific and technical potential.

Collections and Holdings

The SSTL's collections are interdisciplinary and include the largest patent document fund in Ukraine, unique funds of industrial and regulatory documentation, dissertations, research and development reports, deposited scientific papers, and national and foreign books and periodicals. The library ensures creation and administration of the National Electronic Scientific and Information System (URIS) and the Open Ukrainian Citation Index (OUCI). It provides access to domestic and global electronic databases of scientific information, including Web of Science.

Notable Activities

The SSTL has engaged in international scientific cooperation, including a joint project with TIB (Technische Informationsbibliothek, Germany) on FAIR research information in open infrastructures. In October 2022, the SSTL established the National ORCID Consortia with 17 member institutions. The library has also been active in promoting Open Science and supporting Ukraine's National Open Access Action Plan.

Access and Usage

The SSTL provides information services to scientists, specialists, and the public, including document delivery, interlibrary loan, access to scientific databases, and library use services. It also offers coworking spaces and maintains an e-catalog for searching its holdings.