As the home to more than 568,000 volumes, the Slavic and East European Collection is the largest Slavic collection in the Midwest and at any state–supported university in the United States. Acquisitions of Russian–language publications at the university began in the 1920s, but the 1950s saw a more concentrated effort to build the Russian, Soviet, and East European collection after the establishment of the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center. The Slavic Section, a separate administrative Library unit, was established in 1960. Materials can be found in Slavic languages, Non–Slavic East European languages, and non–Slavic languages of the Soviet Union. A complete list of languages and geographical guidelines can be found on the collection’s development statement and description page.
Founded in 1976, the Slavic Reference Service is dedicated to providing assistance to individuals conducting research related to the areas of Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies. Our queries originate from the University of Illinois, other U.S. institutions, and scholars and researchers around the world. We also conduct lecture series and research forums, produce original programs, and collaborate with other libraries around the world to expand the relevance and scope of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies. The SRS is funded by the Title VIII grant program administered by the Department of State.
Location
The Slavic, East European and Eurasian Collections and Services are located in the International Area Studies Library on the third floor of the Main Library, Room 321. The area allotted for the Collections houses reference materials, current periodicals and newspapers, photocopiers, microform readers and scanners, library catalog terminals, and a collection of reference-based microform materials. The Slavic Reference Service is located in Room 317, which can be found within the IAS Library. For more information on the history and background of the IAS Library and its collections, please consult the General Information page. For more information on the physical and digital collections related to Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies, please visit our Collections page.
Services
The SRS responds to research queries in the areas of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies. Our queries originate from the University of Illinois, other U.S. institutions, and scholars and researchers around the world. We provide a range of services to researchers:
- Assistance with identifying, locating and using print, digital and other Slavic, East European, and Eurasian resources.
- Course related instruction in locating and using library resources.
- Assistance with finding specific books, articles, dissertations, and other materials held by U of I and other libraries.
- Provision of factual information, such as biographical information and statistical data.
- Assistance with the use of microform resources, including the use of microfilm and -fiche readers and scanners.
- Consultation in formulating research strategies.
- Process requests for short articles and entries from consultative sources (limited to twenty pages) through the SRS Duplication Service’s Duplication Request Form.
For more information and specific questions concerning the work performed by the SRS, please consult the Slavic Reference Service page.
Loan Policies
In order to check out IAS Library materials, all faculty, staff, and students must present a University of Illinois i-card to the circulation staff. All other patrons must present a barcoded courtesy card, affiliated staff card, or ILCSO school ID card. Loan periods vary according to the following patron status:
- Loan Period for Graduate Students and Faculty: 16 weeks
- Loan Period for Undergraduate Students: 4 weeks
- Loan Period for Courtesy Card Patrons: 4 weeks
- Loan Periods for Unbound Journals, Newspapers, and Reference Materials: Items do not circulate.
There are no reserve materials shelved in the IAS Library. Materials may be renewed by calling the Library’s Central Access Services at 333-8400, or by following instructions on the My Account page.
Additional Resources
For more information and specific questions concerning the work performed by the SRS, please consult the Slavic Reference Service page. If a satisfactory answer cannot be found within that specific section of the website, please reference the FAQ section on the Slavic Reference Service page and the “Directory” section below.
For information about our collections, please see our Collections and Digital Collections pages.
For Research Resources, please see our resources organized by country and our general resources.