The library was transferred to the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in the fall of 1898 after the death of the railway engineer Oleksandr Borodin (1848-1898), who lived in Kyiv for over 20 years and made a significant contribution to the development of the South-Western Railway. The donated collection initially included 1,154 publications, many of which had dedication inscriptions from famous scientists, engineers, and organizers of the railway business.