Jolanta Budriūnienė (Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania)
Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, which dates back to 1919, is, in retrospect, a true contemporary of the Lithuanian State. Therefore, it is also one of the witnesses of important processes in the country’s history – the years of ups and downs, the complex upheavals. Both the National Library’s centenary activities and its extensive documentary archival holdings reflect the country’s historical events. They provide the opportunity for the development of multivocal narratives and can therefore continue to stimulate research, debate, polemics and the demonstration of different points of view.
This presentation will focus on one ongoing element of the National Library’s activities, the development of which is linked, among other factors, to the process of maintaining and shaping national identity.
The National Library’s Lithuanian Studies activities will not only be examined in relation to the formal existence of such units. The presentation will take a closer look at the contribution of the cultural personalities who worked at the National Library to the consistent development of the idea of Lithuanian studies. It will assess the historical circumstances that have encouraged or limited such activities.