The book performs an aesthetic function to a greater extent than a document. Among non-book documents, this function is characteristic mainly of works of art (literary, visual, musical unpublished documents). Among the books, almost every book-edition should be made according to the laws of aesthetics, laws of book art.
The ethical function of a book is a special aspect of cultural and managerial functions. Many prominent figures of the past and present have noted the enriching nature of the influence of the book; some varieties of books have a negative impact on readers. It is important to note that such an influence exists and is studied by a special field of book research - readership studies.
Another specific function of the book is commodity. Unlike the book, not every document is a commodity. The book occupies a special place in the system of documentary communications; there is a whole group of people involved in the creation of the book and bringing it to the attention of readers; there is a need to divide the social work and pay for the labor efforts of those who participated in the creation of the book.
Since society is interested in the best use of books, i.e. mastering the information they contain, it organizes the use of books in libraries, which are usually available to the public and free of charge for users in modern society. But this does not mean that books are no longer a commodity and have no value, it means that society as a whole takes care of bringing books to the attention of readers. At the same time, there is the possibility of buying books as personal (private) property; in this case, there is a clear manifestation of the commodity properties of the book.
- G.N. Shvetsova-Vodka notes another aspect of the commodity function of the book. Previously it was said that a book is a commodity, because it is a material product of spiritual and material production, that is, a commodity. Now the information itself is considered as a commodity, the possibilities of its functioning in commodity-money relations are being studied. Not always the buyer should be the consumer of information directly. Its access to information can be provided by various public institutions financed by the society as a whole or its individual representatives, because it corresponds to the needs of society [14, p. 289].
- M.P. Yelnikov considers the book as a product of human psyche and in this connection emphasizes a special function of the book - the energy function. Reading the book, a person carries out intellectual and spiritual activity and transforms the energy of dions (a term introduced by M.P. Yelnikov; denotes two essence of the book: the author's influencing essence and transforming the reader's essence) into the energy of psycho-thinking process [6, p. 63].
Thus, in determining the functions of the book, researchers start from the definition of the essence of the book and identify from this point of view the most essential characteristics of the book. Soviet book science recognized the main content of the book, so the main scientists called the ideological function.
Modern book science approaches the definition of the functions of the book from the point of view of document science, that is, researchers compare the functions of the book with the functions of the document, highlighting the general and specific.
- It was found that the book has all the functions of a document, which confirms that the book belongs to the document. Different authors highlight different functions of the book as the main one, but the most comprehensive one is the position of G.N. Shvetsova-Vodka (the main function of the book is social-communication-information).
- It was also found out that in comparison with the document in general, the book acquires such new functions as: wide dissemination of information; transformation of the public consciousness or increased influence on it, in connection with which the book significantly activates cognitive, cultural and managerial functions, as well as ethical sub-function; commodity function (purpose for sale).