Modern book science considers the book from the standpoint of document science. Hence, a special approach to the separation of the functions of the book. If the functional approach considers the functions of a book by itself, out of connection and without comparison with the functions of the document, then modern research is based on the relationship between the document and the book. It is suggested to find out whether the book has a document function and what specific functions the book has.
- G.N. Shvetsova-Vodka notes that the main function of a document - social-communications and information - is determined by its place in the system of social communications, where it is a channel of information transfer [14, p. 268]. This function was also called when describing the book, but it received different names. As noted above, I.E. Barenbaum and A.I. Barsouk talk about the communicative function of the book. Later, I.E. Barenbaum singled out a single "information and communication function of the book.
V.N. Lyakhov emphasized that "the most common and essential aspects of the nature of the book, generated by its purpose in life: to serve as a means for storing and transmitting information, for communication between people. Hence the main - communicative - function of the book as a form of organization of text communication [quoted from: 14, p. 268].
In the works of A.A. Belovitskaya, A.A. Grechikhin and S.P. Omilyanchuk the social and communication nature of the book was emphasized, but the corresponding function of the book was called "communicative"; in the characteristic of the book the emphasis was made on its belonging to the sphere of communication or to the sphere of mass communication [citation: 14, p. 269]. Migon also considered communicativeness as the main function, since the book is primarily an instrument of social communication; special functions of the book are preservation of the spiritual heritage of mankind, its dissemination in time and space, serving the development of science, technology, literature, and support for religious, political, and social activities [10, p. 31].
- N.N. Kushnarenko's main function of the book is to store and transfer information in time and space. She calls information, communication and cumulative functions of the book [8, p. 217].
The concept of social-communication and information function covers a wider range of functions and shows that the book belongs to the system of social information communication. The essence of this function of the book is that all its other functions can be characterized as social, informational or communication.
The functions of information recording and preservation, which are characteristic of a document and are conditioned by its material form, are also characteristic of the book. E.L. Nemirovsky drew attention to this: "The functional purpose of a book is to store and transmit - in time and space - some well-defined information. [quote from:14, p. 269].
Other functions of the document aimed at fulfilling its role in society are also characteristic of the book:
- Cognitive - the ability of a document to serve as a source and means of transmitting knowledge about nature and society;
- Cultural - the ability of a document to act as a means of consolidating and transmitting cultural traditions and rituals, to promote the development of a common culture of society, and to instill in members of society aesthetic norms and an accepted system of values;
- Memorial - the ability of a document to perpetuate and pass on to future generations the most significant or extremely unusual deeds and events in the history of man and society;
- Administrative - ability of the document to organize, organize and provide functioning of administrative and bureaucratic processes in the society, as well as to manage them;
- Evidence function - ability of a document to serve as a means of proof, confirmation of any facts or information [5, p. 16-17].
Aesthetic function (promotion of art development, satisfaction of aesthetic tastes and feelings of a person), hedonistic function (provision of pleasure from "communication" with the book), recreational function (assistance to rest, renewal of spiritual and physical forces of a person), allocated in different characteristics of the book, can be considered as subfunctions or varieties of manifestation of cultural function. These sub-functions are more characteristic of certain types of books than of all books.
Educational, promotional and educational functions of the book are formed as a combination and manifestation of cultural, cognitive, managerial functions of the document, that is, as the strengthening of these functions while performing all the others at the same time.
As for the book, it is not usually called, but their characteristics of this function of the document show that it is also characteristic of any book, since the book performs a social and communication function. There are also certain types of books in which the management function is highlighted: publications of managerial, normative-production, regulating and other documents.
To be continue...