The deadline for abstract submission is 15 February 2027.

The act of reading often leaves no direct evidence, providing researchers only its traces, such as marginal annotations, underlining, excerpts, letters, catalogues, accounts, legal records, quotations, and other material signs of use. These fragments raise important questions regarding the reconstruction of how particural texts were read, as well as methods, locations and social contexts in which reading occurred. Moreover, the kind of evidence raises questions about what we can learn about readers who left no names or personal accounts.

The conference invites contributions that examine book culture and reading practices in the early modern period. Reading practises may have been silent or vocal, individual or collective, continuous or fragmentary, educational, professional, religious, or recreational. We welcome research addressing not only the content of reading but also the conditions, shape, and effects on reading: how texts were accessed, interpreted, used, transmitted, and adapted across various contexts.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES

• How did the content, form, and materiality of texts anticipate, instruct, or discipline their readers?
• What textual, documentary, and material traces enable the reconstruction of reading practices, and whose experiences remain challenging to identify?
• How did factors such as language, confession, gender, age, social position, profession, literacy levels, and reading the environments shape reading practices?
• In what ways did texts and reading practices circulate among individuals, institutions, communities, languages, and territories?
• How are digital methods transforming the scale, source base, and interpretative boundaries of research into the history of reading?

The conference seeks to bring together scholars from different fields around shared questions concerning the histories of books and reading. Historians, book historians, art historians, literary scholars, linguists, librarians, archivists, conservators, and experts in material culture and cultural heritage are encouraged to participate, as well as researchers specializing in digital humanities, computer science, statistics, network analysis, computer vision, data visualization, and information systems.

We particularly encourage co-authored papers that integrate multiple disciplines, diverse types of evidence, or valid research methods.

The conference will take place in 2027, marking the 480th anniversary of the publication of Martynas Mažvydas’s Catechism (1547) in Königsberg, recognised as the first printed book in Lithuanian. Created within the multilingual print culture of the Reformation-era Baltic region, this volume combined a catechism, a reading primer, and texts for communal singing. It offers a revealing example of how early print sought not only to reach readers but also to shape their development.

This anniversary and its historical setting provide the starting point for the conference, whose scope extends beyond the Baltic and East-Central European region. The multilingual and multiconfessional cultures of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Prussia, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth inspire broader questions about European book and reading history, inviting participants to reconsider established models across diverse geographical and cultural contexts. Contributions addressing other regions, as well as comparative studies crossing regional and European boundaries, are warmly encouraged.

The conference invites participants to examine methods for reconstructing reading practices from dispersed traces and to evaluate what constitutes sufficient historical evidence of the act of reading.

Researchers and professionals wishing to present their work at the conference may submit their proposals using the form below.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Abstracts must clearly describe the original research being presented (200–250 words).
• Author name(s), affiliation(s), contact information, and a short bio (max. 150 words) should be included.

Proposals from scholars at all career stages are welcome until 15 February 2027.

Date: 6–7 October 2027
Format: In-person (exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis).
Venue: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, Vilnius, Gediminas Ave. 51.
Conference language: English.
Duration of the presentation: 20 minutes.
Registration fee: €40 (payable upon acceptance of the proposal).
Contacts: reading.leaves.traces@lnb.lt
Organizer: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
Partner: Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL)

Note: Following the conference, presenters will be invited to submit their articles for publication in a  peer-reviewed conference volume.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Deadline for submissions: 15 February 2027.
Notification of acceptance: 5 April 2027.
Registration opens for general attendees: 30 August 2027.
Conference: 6–7 October 2027.
Deadline for submitting presentation slides: 4 October 2027.
Article submission deadline: 27 February 2028.

WHY ATTEND?

Join an international community of scholars exploring the dynamic world of early modern print, book culture, and knowledge circulation. Engage with new research, take part in interdisciplinary discussions, and build connections with researchers, librarians, curators, and heritage professionals from across Europe and beyond.

Hosted in Vilnius, a vibrant city where rich cultural heritage and intellectual traditions meet contemporary creativity, the conference combines academic exchange with the experience of a city renowned for its historical depth and dynamic cultural life.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

• Milda Kruopienė (Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania)
• Kasparas Svitojus (Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania)
• Dr. Viktorija Vaitkevičiūtė (Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania)

Contact us: reading.leaves.traces@lnb.lt

REVIEW COMMITTEE

• Dr. Renāte Berga (University of Latvia)
• Dr. Agnieszka Franczyk-Cegła (Ossoliński National Institute, Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL) Provenance Working Group)
• Dr. Ann-Marie Hansen (Université de Paris 1 – Panthéon Sorbonne)
• Dr. Milda Kvizikevičiūtė (Independent Scholar)
• Dr. Gintarė Petuchovaitė (Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences)
• Dr. Viktorija Vaitkevičiūtė (Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania)

PAST CONFERENCES

The Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania actively contributes to research on early modern books and print culture, bringing together scholars from different disciplines through conferences, collaborative projects, and public engagement initiatives.

Acutus et Argutus: Early Modern Print Culture in Motion (2025)

Inspired by the literary legacy of Matthias Casimirus Sarbievius, this international conference explored the dynamic movement of books, ideas, and readers across the early modern world. Bringing together researchers from numerous countries and disciplines, the event addressed topics ranging from printing, typography, and provenance studies to digital humanities, artificial intelligence, conservation, and the global circulation of texts.

Printing Centers and Peripheries in the Early Modern Period (2023)

This international conference explored the role of both major printing centres and peripheral regions in shaping early modern print culture. Participants addressed questions of book production, circulation, readership, and cultural exchange, with particular attention to the movement of texts and ideas across Europe and beyond.

Theatrum Libri: The Press, Reading and Dissemination in Early Modern Europe (2021)

Held at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, this international conference examined the printed book and manuscript as vehicles for the creation, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge in early modern Europe. Scholars from across Europe, North America, and Asia discussed book production, readership, collecting practices, and new digital approaches to book history research.

CONFERENCE VENUE

The conference will take place at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania (Gediminas Ave. 51, Vilnius).
Conference Hall, 5th Floor, Room 501.
Access is available via stairs and elevator.
Find it on Google Maps or Apple Maps.

TRAVEL

By air: Vilnius International Airport (VNO) offers direct connections to many European cities and is approximately 15 minutes from the city centre.
By train or bus: Vilnius is well connected to major Baltic and regional destinations, including Riga, Tallinn, Warsaw, and Kraków, by rail and coach services.
Local transport: Public transport, taxis, and ride-hailing services provide convenient access throughout the city.
Accommodation: A wide range of hotels, apartments, and guesthouses are available within walking distance or a short ride from the venue.
Exploring Vilnius: The UNESCO-listed Old Town, museums, libraries, and cultural landmarks are all easily accessible from the conference venue.

PRACTICAL INFO

Currency: Euro (€)
Language: Lithuanian (English is widely spoken)
Tap water: Safe to drink throughout Lithuania
Weather: In October, Lithuania experiences cool and crisp autumn weather, with average daytime temperatures around 7–11°C (45–52°F) and nighttime temperatures dipping to 3–5°C (37–40°F). You can expect cloudy skies, light rain or drizzle, and a chance of moderate rainfall, so layered clothing, an umbrella and a waterproof jacket are recommended.
Shops: Most supermarkets are open until 22:00
Emergency number: 112

We look forward to welcoming you to the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at reading.leaves.traces@lnb.lt.