The article considers the results of study of current trends in the innovative activities of 15 national libraries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In research, the author applied the methods of polling, comparative analysis, expert review, analysis of websites and printed sources in order to detect the promising areas for international library cooperation and partnership in the CIS. The author underlines the relevance of this research connected with the need to analyse the strategies of the CIS national libraries developed up to date. The article presents information on technology innovation, changing processes and reconfiguring products and services, as well as on organizational and management advanced innovation. The core programs of all national libraries of the CIS countries are focusing on e-library development, including coordination activities on the creation of national electronic libraries in the countries, full-text databases, as well as projects promoting international academic movement Open Access. The article presents the studies on scientific description and creation of soft copies of the unique national documentary monuments, as well as development of information portals and websites. Organizational and management innovation of national libraries of the CIS countries focuses on structural changes. These transformations promote creation of virtual reading rooms, electronic resource rooms, book and book-printing museums, as well as educational projects — training centres, including distance learning centres, and schools for conservation and restoration of manuscripts. Based on the analysis of empirical data, the author concludes that the priority innovative projects of national libraries cooperation are focused on provision of remote access to the most complete volume of document collections available in the CIS countries; these projects increase satisfaction of the needs of users of national libraries and the whole population in the relevant information.

The findings of the study of the development strategies of the CIS na-tional libraries with the reference to the national specifics of the innovative ac-tivities are presented. The goal of the study is to facilitate the cooperation of the libraries within the Commonwealth of Independent States. The analyzed vast em-pirical data is based on expert assessments, consultation papers, publications in periodicals, reports and the libraries’ websites. Sociological and statistical me-thods and comparative analysis were applied. The major problem the national libraries are facing is due to their different degree of digitalization. Based on the empirical data analysis, the major trends were revealed: the key projects are aimed at providing online access to the possibly most complete collections of the CIS national libraries. The current data provided in the paper are predominantly about technological innovations. The CIS national libraries are focused on the programs of e-libraries including national electronic libraries (NELs); projects of global academic Open Access, and structural transformations (designing virtual reading rooms, digital resources sections, book museums, etc.), and educational projects. Innovations have been the strategic priority of the CIS national libraries. Implementing modern information communication technologies facilitates buil-ding common library and information space of the CIS states, while innovative activities enables sharing plans and projects for the CIS national libraries.