The rector's reading hall, unique for the university environment, inaugurated at Baikal State University. It has more than three thousand copies of books and scientific journals in Russian and English.

Its rector, professor Viktor Ignatenko, made this gift to the university. All books and magazines are freely available. Wi-Fi is available to visitors. Ten workplaces are equipped with personal laptops. The Rector's reading hall is waiting for technical innovations, a screen and a projector will be installed there. To replenish the digital collection, color printers and scanners will purchase later. In the future, the rector's reading hall will become an information center.

Irina Minulina, Director of the BSU Scientific Library, took the floor to express appreciation to BSU rector, professor Viktor Ignatenko, whose efforts had amassed a collection of books and magazines in the reading hall.

"The Rector's reading hall will become the hallmark of our university. Today this place meets its first visitors," Irina Minulina noted.

According to Viktor Ignatenko, these books have been collecting for a long time. Viktor Vasilyevich moved some of the books from his home soil (from the Amur region) to Irkutsk back in 1976. Some books are from his parents' library, some of the books he bought in his youth, and many he purchased on work trips and business trips abroad. For example, the largest book in terms of volume – reproductions of Leonardo Da Vinci - was brought from Frankfurt am Main.

"I want those people who will come to work as rector after me not stand by and replenish the collection of books and magazines of the rector's reading hall, so that this glorious tradition could exist without interruption. The Rector's reading hall will be formed throughout the year. Here are collected books that were published in the 1920s, 1930s. These are books on history, political science, philosophy, linguistics, economics and law, dictionaries, encyclopedias. I hope that the reading hall will become a cozy place where you can take off your mind from day-to-day life. The digital collection has more than 50 thousand files. These are books, monographs, collections of scientific articles, journals", Viktor Ignatenko said.

"I hope that the reading hall will become a cozy place where you can escape from everyday life. The digital collection has more than 50 thousand files. These are books, monographs, collections of scientific articles, journals", Viktor Ignatenko mentioned.

The rector told how he systematized and designed the library, how he kept it. Some periodicals, such as the magazines "Foreign Literature", "New World", he subscribed all his life.

According to Viktor Ignatenko, the rector's reading hall will be equipped with special shelves for publications on art, for example, such series as "Artists of the World".

Visitors to the rector's reading hall will also be able to use a collection of miniature books. A large collection of dissertations in electronic form will present here.

“I continue to complete the rector's reading hall, so I'm waiting for your suggestions in each direction”, Viktor Ignatenko addressed the staff of Baikal State University.