Studying the history of books, librarianship of Altai region, revealing special features helps holistic perception of the development of Siberian culture and Russian culture in general. The article considers the questions of library science of the Altai region villages at the turn of the XIX-XXth centuries. The author analyses the factors which had a great influence on the development of rural libraries. Among them are activity of cultural and educational, research societies, such as “The Society of Assistance to the Rural Free Reading Rooms in the Tomsk Province”, “The Society of the Altai Researchers”, Biysk Committee “Tomsk Company Guardianship of the National Sobriety.” The paper provides the statistical data, characterizing distribution of the libraries, opened in 1903-1912 in the 4th districts of the Altai Region. The analysis of data showed unevenness of libraries distribution in the settlements: from 8% in the Barnaul district to 3% in the Kuznetsk district. Finally, the conclusion is made that the total number of libraries at the turn of XIX-XXth centuries steadily increased, although it was still not enough for such a large area, as the Altai Region.