RSLYA has a collection of several thousand black-and-white and colour filmstrips produced between the 1960s and the early 1990s. The collection has different kinds of filmstrips: popular science and historical films, documentaries and political films, films about art and films based on folklore and literature. A large part of the collection is comprised of interesting and well-made educational materials that used to be projected in schools and colleges.
Before video, filmstrips were an important tool for propaganda and aesthetic and academic education for young and old. Today it is a visual memorial to the previous generations, their everyday life, their spirit and preferences, as well as an illustration of the development of the country over the decades.
The filmstrips are now being converted into digital formats as the medium is attracting a lot of attention, especially from young people. This important piece of national heritage will thus be accessible to large numbers of viewers and more secure than it is now, given the fragility of film.
And we started with the youth — the main topic for the Russian State Library for Young Adults. In addition, it will allow preserving in time the information captured on the filmstrips, which, unlike the paper book, unfortunately, is not so viable.
