Lithuania 

Directory Information 
History 
Organization 
Collections 
Buildings and Facilities 
   Catalogs,Bibliographies, and Indexes 
   Legislative Research 
   Reference and Reader Services 
   Automation 
   Statistics 



Directory Information

 Formal Name:            Lietuvos nacionaline Martyno Mazvydo biblioteka, (Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania)
 Name of Librarian:     Vladas Bulavas
 Address:                    Gedimino pr 51, LT-2600  Vilnius, Lithuania
 Phone:     (370 2) 629023      Fax:     (370 2) 627129
 E-mail:    biblio@lnb.lrs.lt

History

 The National Library of Lithuania was founded in 1919.  "Probably it is the only large library in Lithuania that changed its name so many times and had to move its book stocks from place to place so often ... In January 1919 the Lithuanian People's Commisariat for Education reorganized the former Vilnius Public (Vilnius University Library until 1832) into the Central Library of Lithuania which started functioning on February 1, 1919."  Throughout 1919 the Library began and stopped activities.  Finally, in December 1919 the "...Temporary Lithuanian Government in Kaunas issued an order to sstart the activities of the Central State Library."  For some time the Library could not operate fully because of no suitable facilities.  There was a small reading room in the Lithuanian Parliament from 1919 to 1921.  In 1923, however, several thousand volumes were transferred to Kaunas University and in 1934-35, an additional 34,000 volumes were transferred to Kaunas University.  "The Library's activity could be founded on more stable lines when The Law on State Public Libraries (1936) was issued.  The Library was designated to collect and store all lituanistic printed matter published in Lithuania and abroad."  After the annexation of Lithuania by the USSR in 1940, "...the Library greatly expanded its collections but mainly through the flood of numberous Soviet Russian publications....[and] the scanty contacts of the Library with libraries of foreign countries were cancelled.  They were replaced by constantly expanding contacts with the libraries of Russia and other Soviet Republics.  In practice the Library started to practically apply the Soviet regulations on librarianship and bibliography.

 "During the Fascist occupation the recently obtained premises of the Library were occupied by German soldiers....Book stocks were "purged" of publications unacceptable to Fascist ideology.  The Library lost ...valuable pieces during the period of Nazi occupation.

 "During the postwar years the Library used to receive all publications printed on the teritory [sic] of the USSR; since 1949 it received the publications in the Russian language only.  The book stocks (especially Lithuanian and foreign publicaitons printed between two wars) were greatly damaged by the campaign of 'clearing the libraries of ideologically harmful publications'.  Many books, even old and rare ones, were removed from the Library stocks and destroyed.  In 1950, 30 tons (!) of books were taken to Petrasiunai Paper Factory  and some other places for recycling, many books were just burned in heating-furnaces at the Library itself....Many books, including almost all periodicals published in the period of World War II and in the interwar years were transferred to special deposits to make them unavailable to the average reader.

 "In 1951 new library regulations were adopted, and the Library was granted the status of the main Library of the Republic.

 "With the changes in the political situation, the Library started to recover its ties with libraries abroad....Due to the intensive growth of book stocks and the increasing number of readers and staff the Library once again faced the problem of lacking space.  A decision was made to transfer the Library to Vilnius, where a special building would be constructed to meet its needs....On the 6th of December [1963] the Library started operating in Vilnius.

 "The Library was the iniator of many innovations....Still, the activities of the LNL in the nineteen sixties and later decades hve not been thoughly [sic] investigated yet.  This period partly coinciding with the years of so-called stagnation is still waiting for an objective historical evaluation.

 "The National Rebirth of 1988, new democratic tendencies that shattered official dogmas in many spheres of ourlife, also affected libraries.  The Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania conducted a fundamental revision of books and periodicals removed from the Library books stocks in the postwar period.  Books 'purged' during the rule of Stalin and Brezhnev had been stored in special confidential deposits unavailable for readers without special permission.  These deposits included many books published in Lithuania before 1940 and books by Lithuanian emigres, books published in the Soviet Union and abroad prohibited by the Communist authorities for their 'subversiveness'.  In 1988 the book stocks of LNL reached the figure of 5 mln volumes."

 "On March 11, 1990 independence of the Republic of Lithuania was restored.  The Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania together with the whole nation opened a new page in its history."

Organization

 "The functions of National Library and Parliamentary Library are performed by the LNL concentrating the efforts of numerous specialists in different fields.  The kernel of the Library staff are graduates of Vilnius University.  They are skilled in librarianship, Lithuanian language and literature, history, foreign languages a.o.  The number of technical specialists is increasing because there is an urgent need to introduce automatic technological processes, create automatic information systems, exploit engineering facilities used in the Library.  Experienced specialists on librarianship carry out methodological and scientific research work.

 "The functions of the Library determine its structure: library and bibliographic services of readers are performed in public or specialized reading halls; specialized departments of the Library conduct the storing of printed issues, the processing of books, periodicals and other printed sourcesof information as well as storage of different publications....The Lithuanian National Library is a large and complex structure.  Technical and maintenance workers are also necessary to meet the library's needs.  503 people worked in the library at the begining of 1993, more than three quarters being specialists in librarianship.  The Lithuanian National Library is also responsible for its readers' needs in Palanga where it has a summer affiliation.  In Raseiniai, in the premises of a former monastery, the Lithuanian National Library mounted a depository for the storage of books and the holdings of the Republican Book Exchange."

Buildings and Facilities

 "In 1963 the LNL (then titled State Republican Libraryof the Lithuanian SSR) moved into the building specially designed for it in Vilnius by architect V. Anikin.  The building was estimated to contain 3 mln publications and to serve 500 persons in its reading halls.  Today the building of the Library contains 5 mln publications.  A depository storing 1 mln volumes has been mounted in Raseiniai in a former Dominican monastery.  As the amount of publications annually increases, the Library now faces an acute problem of space.  Now an annex to the Library is being erected to house 3,5 mln of publications.  This will also help to expand premises for reading halls and a dining hall for the technical staff.  The new depositories will be equiped with modern air conditioning, an alarm system and other security facilities.  After apital repairs aat the present building of the Library, working and storing conditions will improve considerably.  In 1991 the Restoration Centre of the LNL was given new premises in the old town of Vilnius; some other departments of the Library also moved into the same building."

Collections

 "The Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania receives publications for centralized acquisitions from the following main sources: a free depository copy of each printed issue from all publishing houses of Lithuania; copies from the Republican Library Collector; publications by book trading companies from abroad and subscription.

 "The Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania collects and stores, alongside with books, also serial publications, periodicals (3500 titles annually), manuscripts, art albums, printed music works, dissertaion abstracts etc.  Recently the acquisition and collecting of microformed has become more intense.  The Library started collecting CD-ROM and floppy discs, audio records in compact discs; increasing is also the number of other autdio-visual documents such as gramaphone records, microfiches and microfilms, slides etc.

 "Every year the book stocks of the Library are enhanced approximately by 170 thousand publications.

 "The main book stocks contain almost 3 mln of printed units in Lithuanian and in foreign languages.  These are books, periodicals and serial publications dating from the beginning of the 19th century up to our time."  Much of the collection is in Russian "...because the National Library used to receive the depository copy from the Soviet Union; other large collections are in German, Polish and French.  the most valuable part of non-Lithuanian publications consists of classic works in the language of the original....Of special mention are the works of famous Russian historians....Quite rare items are works by Russian emigres, published in Belgrade, Berlin, Prague, Paris and other cities."

 "Recently the books stocks have been greatly enriched by publications in Lithuanian and other languages donated to the Libray by charity."

 "In the Depository of Publicaitons on Lithuanian Philology and History the main collection of Lithuanian publications and publications on Lithuania is amassed.  Presently the collection comprises more than half a million publications.... The collection of Lithuanian books contains a large number of the most ancient written pieces by early Lithuanian authors."

 "The Bibliography and Reference Department has at present more than 220 thousand reference and bibliographic publications....Among other important items "...are the complete publications of Lithuanian national bibliography and current registering bibliography; bibliographic indexes, periodica reference and annual bibliographical publications from Latvia, Estonia, Byelorussia, publications by the Russian Book Chamber, national reference publications from other foreign countries."

 "The stocks of the Music Department are of universal orientaiton towards the humanities.  They comprise printed music belonging to different nations, epochs, styles and genres; scientific pedagogical, methodological and poular literature on music has also its place in this collection."

 "The Music Department is the only institution in Lithuania whose objective is the collecting and prservation of a complete set of Lithuanian records."

 "Of rare value is a collection of ancien printed music containg unique first publications of works by Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludig van Beethoven and other outstanding composers.  The stock also comprises valuable publications dealing with music in Lithuania and Poland."

 "The Art Department collects literature on art theory, aesthetics, fold art, visual and applied decorative art, architecture, protection and preservation of monuments and heritage, design, photographic art."

 "The Manuscript Department contains more than 60,000 autographs, historical acts, photographs and other documents dating from the 15th century to this day.  It consists of 181 private archives as well as of archives of Churches, land estates, different societies and organizations editorial boards a.o....149 parchments are present in this collection of manuscripts, these are the privileges of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes and Polish Kings to the city of Vilnius, different acts of granting (donation), papers signed by the Pope, origin certificates of the gentry (1419-1899)....Of exceptional value is a set of separate rare writings in the field of philosophy, literature, theology, history."

Catalogs, Bibliographies, and Indexes

 "At present the Library has developed a wide system of catalogues and card indexes, and has amassed rich stocks of information, bibliographic and reference publications;it also possesses an archive of bibliographic information in written form."

 "In 1992 the Reference and Bibliography Department established an Informatin Centre (IC) which supplies bibliographic and fact information in oral and written form from data bases on CD-ROMs, magnetic discs and union catalogues of foreign books and periodicals.

 "Comprehensive information in their specific fields are provided by the Department of Lithuanian Philology and History, the Music Department, the Art Department, the Methodological Research Department and other specialized divisions of the LNl."

Legislative Research

 "The national Library performs the functions of Parliamentary library, lately it has become a depositor of the European Community.

 "In 1991 the Library established a department for the Governmental Information.  This new department is to supply information to parliament (Seimas) members, government and state officials in their work."

Reference and Reader Services

 "All the residents of Lithuania as well as foreign guests have the right touse the Library, independent of their educaiton, profession, age, national origin or purpose of their visit tothe Library.  This tradition is fostered from the very first days of the Library's existence, it is upheld nowadays.  Hence the diverse reader structure of the LNL.

 "20 reading halls operate in the LNL: common reading halls, universal scientific and specializzed scientific reading halls.

 "a special group of readers has the possibility toborrowbooks on a personal loan basis."

Automation

 "...the LNL started in 1983 developing its Automatic Library Information System (ALIS).  A line of automatic processing of information is being introduced (APIL) which shall embrace all inner library processes, among them the development of an electronic catalogue.  This will become the basis for the development of the Republican Automatic Library Information System (RALIS).

Statistics

 Readers (1991)     21,580
 Circulation--internal and external (1991) 1,569,539
 Staff (1993)      503
 

Source:  Brochure entitled The Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania, 1993.