False Textbooks

During the 2010s, some Russian authors in academia have started to publish their purely scholarly works as “учебное пособие”, or “teaching aids”. The reason for this is that the Russian government provided better financial support for publications that assist in teaching. Academic publishing usually does not get the same level of government support. So, some authors designate their books as “teaching aids” in order to get the funding to publish them even though the books in question are not designed for pedagogical or classroom use. These books are, so to speak, false textbooks.

In the case of false textbooks, the phrase “uchebnoe posobie” generally appears prominently on the title page, prompting certain cataloging decisions. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between “genuine” and “false” textbooks. Clues about whether a book calling itself a textbook is a genuine or a false textbook will come from the book itself. When confronted with such a book, consider whether the book’s structural features suggest that it was intended as a textbook. For example, does it include a main text followed by questions or exercises? Does it have a substantial self-study section, etc.? If it has these and other standard features of textbooks, it is a genuine textbook and should be treated as such; if it does not, then it is a false textbook and there is no need to treat it as such.

Another important feature for differentiating a genuine textbook from a false one is the presence of a statement indicating that it was certified by the Ministry of Education or any other appropriate institution (see Notes for Textbooks and other Educational Publications for Instructional Purposes). The presence of such a statement confirms the nature of the resource as a textbook or teaching aid, and justifies the application to it of appropriate subject headings and subdivisions such as --Textbooks, --Study and teaching, and so on.

If a resource identifying itself as a textbook does not bear any of the hallmarks of being an actual textbook or teaching aid, do not add subject and subdivision headings commonly used for resources on teaching.

Example (in MARC format):

В.С. Буянов

Россия в глобализирующемся мире

учебное пособие

Mосква

Книга и бизнес

2015

Although this book is marked as a teaching aid (uchebnoe posobie), it lacks any features appropriate to such a publication. It also includes a substantial 20-page bibliography and indexes - scholarly apparatus indicating that this book is communicating the result of original research and is not specifically intended for purely pedagogical use. This book is a monograph, not a teaching aid, and should be treated as such.

Suggested cataloging practice:

245 10 Rossii︠a︡ v globalizirui︠u︡shchemsi︠a︡ mire : ǂb uchebnoe posobie / ǂc V.S.Bui︠a︡nov.

650 0 Globalization ǂz Russia (Federation)

NOT

650 0 Globalization ǂz Russia (Federation) ǂx Study and teaching.

NOT

650 0 Globalization ǂz Russia (Federation) ǂv Textbooks.

Revised: Aug. 2015