New studies of the Lithuanian scholars concerning the history of book collections in the Vilnius Region and Belarus

Abstract

The book Iš lietuvos bibliotekų istorijos (From the history of Lithuanian libraries, Vilnius 1985) comprises 8 studies of Lithuanian scientists. The studies concern the history of the book starting in the 15^th century and closing in the period preceding the outbreak of World War I. These are source studies which revealed many unknown and important facts concerning the past of Polish and Lithuanian libraries.

The more interesting issues cover: provenience research on the relics of old book collections in the Library of the Vilnius University (15^th-17^th century), information about book collection of middle class in Kowno (16^th-17^th century), the register of catalogues of court libraries (17^th-19^th century) and also information about book collection of Lithuanian peasants on the turn of 19^th-20^th centuries.

In a sense sensational was the fact of  the publication of the list of books belonging to a philogist Salomon Rysiński (d. 1625). The list was made by him himself. He collected a very valuable humanistic library. In the list he gave prices of book, which certainly was an event in the history of books in the 17^th century.

The results of  this research are of interest also for the Polish historian of  the book because they largely refer either to the Polish book or to collections completed by people who already in the past entered the Polish culture. The Lithuanian scientists’ efforts in undertaking this research and the publication of their results should be recognized as they revealed a number of significant facts from the history of the Polish and the Lithuanian book. This important publication is an example of mutual influence of Polish and Lithuanian cultures and their close links in the span of centuries.