The building housing the Załuski Library in the graphic by Zygmunt Vogel, 1801 / Source: Wikipedia
The first public library in Poland was the Załuski Library. It was opened on August 8, 1747, in Warsaw by the brothers Józef and Andrzej Załuski.
The library’s revolutionary policy of welcoming all individuals, regardless of their wealth or education, made it one of the pioneering institutions across the globe.
The Załuski Library collection was one of the largest and most important in Europe at that time. It consisted of approximately 200,000 volumes, 10,000 manuscripts, as well as thousands of maps, atlases, and engravings.
The library survived less than 50 years. In 1794 and 1795, the entire collection, estimated at 300-500 thousand volumes, was looted by the Russians and taken to Russia. The collection then became the foundation of the Imperial Public Library in Saint Petersburg.
In the 1920s, following the Treaty of Riga agreements, some of the former Załuski Library volumes were returned to the newly established Second Polish Republic. They were later included in the National Library, founded in 1928.
The building housing the Załuski Library is called the Danilowiczowski Palace, or the House under the Kings. It’s located on Hipoteczna 2 street in Warsaw. After 1795, it fell into disrepair. It was restored in 1962, and currently houses the Polish authors association.
The building of the Załuski Library today / Photo: Adrian Grycuk @ WikipediaA bookplate of the Załuski Library, designed by Jan Filipowicz / Source: Culture.pl
The report released by ALA found that 54% of Gen Z and Millennials visited a physical library in the past year. 52% said they borrowed from library digital collections.
Over 5.8 million votes were cats. Most users were voting for books by Rebecca Yarros, R.F. Kuang, and Emily Henry.
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Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
by ELIZABETH GILBERT
Once upon a time, there was a man named Jack Gilbert, who was not related to me – unfortunately for me.
Jack Gilbert was a great poet, but if you’ve never heard of him, don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. He never much cared about being known. But I knew about him, and I loved him dearly from a respectful distance, so let me tell you about him.
Jack Gilbert was born in Pittsburgh in 1925 and grew up in the midst of that city’s smoke, noise, and industry. He worked in factories and steel mills as a young man, but was called from an early age to write poetry. He answered the call without hesitation. He became a poet the way other men become monks: as a devotional practice, as an act of love, and as a lifelong commitment to the search for grace and transcendence. I think this is probably a very good way to become a poet. Or to become anything, really, that calls to your heart and brings you to life.
Revolution Begins Book Lover Funny T-Shirt– Time to start a revolution, comrades! Wait, I need to finish the book, first – and a bookmark comes as a handy excuse. This vintage artwork says: “The revolution begins as soon as I remember where I left my bookmark”.
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