Polish and Polonica collections in Belarusian institutions

Abstract

Due to the common past, rooted in the multi-ethnic and multi-lingual Polish-Lithu- anian Commonwealth, it’s natural to see the presence of many Polonica in the Belarusian collections. They have been revealed during works on a complete bibliographical catalogue of printed books in Belarus (from 1517), and bibliographical register of book monuments. Therefore, research areas the Polish and Belarusian book scientists overlap quite frequently, influencing positively team and project work, actively pursued since the 90’s of the 20th century. The paper presents many examples of individual and institutional studies, resulting in registration of historical book collections, including valuable Polonica. These effects enable indication of problems and trends in future common projects.