Kursk Regional Universal Scientific Library named after N. N. Aseev first opened for the readers in May of 1935. Continuing the traditions of the central provincial Semyonovskaya library, the Regional Library successfully organized public service, provided methodological assistance to the libraries of the city and region, and published a number of methodological and bibliographic manuals, indexes, reference books. The staff participated in competitions, Stakhanov's movement, inspections and contests.
On June 22, 1941, the rumble of battle broke into the harmonious buzz of work days.
The Regional Library ensured regular shifts of an urgently created emergency fire brigade on the roof of the building. The team defused eight incendiary bombs. As the battles approached the city of Kursk, the question of evacuating the book funds became acute.
Kursk librarians joined the staff of the Sarapul City Library and shared with them all the hardships of life in the provincial rear city. One of the main tasks of library work in the war years was to provide books to the wounded treated in hospitals. In 1941-1945 in Sarapul there were six hospitals, and each of them deployed a mobile library. Soldiers and officers enjoyed reading the books offered to them. The residents of Sarapul were eager to visit the library - after all, it was the only public cultural institution in the city, where everyone could come at any time, read a fresh newspaper, magazine or book, study the map of the advances of our troops, learn news about the course of the war operations.
During the Nazi occupation of the city of Kursk, the library building housed a small German office. On February 8, 1943 the 60th Army of General Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky liberated the city of Kursk, and on March 13 the library resumed its work.
After the liberation of Kursk, the Regional Library organized services for military units and the wounded patients in hospitals. During this period the collections were put in order, the Interlibrary Loan was revived, seminars were held, and professional development courses were organized. In 1944-1945 the majority of librarians of the region took short-term training courses. The task of restoring the pre-war living standards of the region and further development of librarianship was accomplished by 1950.
Currently, the library structure includes 18 departments and 9 sectors serving various categories of users. More than 35 thousand people use the library fund annually, and more than 800 people visit it daily. For many citizens - students, teachers, researchers and just readers “Aseevka” has become a second home. The history of the Kursk Regional Universal Scientific Library named after N.N. Aseev is a part of the history of Russia and Kursk region, a reflection of their cultural and political life.
It contains the history of the origin of culture in the Kursk region, the spiritual connection between times and generations and offers hope for its further development and prosperity.