ABOUT THE JOURNAL
Polish Libraries is an English-language peer-reviewed academic journal published yearly by the National Library of Poland and addressed to foreign library milieus. It is included on the Ministry of Education and Science’s official List of Ranked Scholarly Journals with 100 points. It is also indexed by Scopus and ERIH PLUS.
It aims at presenting issues related to historical and current challenges facing Polish libraries and library and information studies, including their ancillary and related sciences. The articles published in the journal cover a broad scope of topics and research fields, such as history, with history of libraries in particular, theory of bibliography, cataloguing, archival science, museology, manuscriptology, codicology, bookbinding studies, conservation and restoration, library statistics and sociology, readership studies, art history, musicology, and literary studies.
All of the articles published in the journal are peer reviewed by experts who do not know the identity of authors and vice versa (double-blind reviewing process). The reviewers are acknowledged external specialists, that is, they are not employed by the publisher. The editorial board of the Polish Libraries has been gradually increasing the number of reviews prepared by scholars affiliated to foreign research institutions. Not only does it help improve the academic quality of the articles, but it also aims at raising the awareness of the existence of the journal abroad. read more About the Journal
CURRENT ISSUE
CREDITS / TABLE OF CONTENTS, p. 1–3
ARTICLES
Aleksander Brückner’s Private Library (Viewed as Part of His Personal Archive), p. 6–32
Against the background of the fate of Aleksander Brückner’s personal archive, which is now considered lost, this article attempts to describe and characterise his library legacy, which was discovered in 2023 and is still accessible in Berlin today. The following questions play a role here: what is the linguistic structure of this library, how was it accumulated by Brückner, what value did it have for him and his academic work, and what do the single volumes (especially those containing a dedication to him) say about his academic networks? This text presents Brückner’s library legacy in detail for the first time and thus aims to make a contribution to the further study of him as a scientist.
The Book Collection of Marian Bielewicz in the Saxon State and University Library in Dresden, p. 33–61
This article explores the structure and wartime fate of the private book collection of Marian Bielewicz, a Polish lawyer and notary based in Gdańsk, whose library was transferred during World War II to the Sächsische Landesbibliothek in Dresden (today the Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek). Based on archival acquisition records from 1939 to 1945 and an analysis of the surviving volumes, the author reconstructs the original collection, which once comprised 293 items. The library reflected Bielewicz’s intellectual interests in history, literature, art, and national culture. Most of the collection was destroyed during the war; only 118 volumes have survived to the present day. The study contributes to broader discussions on the wartime displacement of private libraries and underscores the value of institutional collections as sources for biographical research. The article includes a detailed inventory of both surviving and lost works.
Humboldt’s Estate in the Collection Autographa in the Jagiellonian Library, Cracow. First Scientific Insights, Concept and Challenges of the Planned catalogue, p. 62–77
Since the end of the Second World War, the Humboldt estate has remained divided mainly between Germany and Poland. Despite many efforts, a significant portion of Humboldtiana remains unexamined and uncatalogued. This concerns the manuscripts from the Autographa Collection and includes archive boxes nos. 86 and 87, which contain around 1,200 documents relating to Alexander von Humboldt, his brother Wilhelm, and Wilhelm’s wife Caroline, née
von Dacheröden. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the Humboldt family’s legacy stored in Cracow and to outline the primary challenges faced by scholars in systematically cataloging it. In addition, a concept for such a systematic catalog is presented, along with key substantive and formal assumptions.Linguistica e filologia in un corpus di testi dell’Italia mediana (il CorTIM), p. 78–100
The paper presents the CorTIM (Corpus Testuale Informatizzato dell’Italia Mediana). CorTIM is a project funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as PRIN 2022 under the Next Generation EU program. Starting in October 2023, it is being developed between the Gabriele D’Annunzio University of Chieti (PI: Emiliano Picchiorri), the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Silvia Capotosto) and the University of Perugia (Giulio Vaccaro). CorTIM’s objective is to make available to historical-linguistic, lexicographical, philological and literary research an unequivocal reference for the study of Median (and Perimedian) Italian dialects, making freely accessible online and searchable the written heritage produced in this area between the Origins and the 17th century. At first, the project focuses on texts already published in reliable editions, but it also envisages the revision of some editions, where their insufficiency with respect to current scientific standards is noted, and the publication of some unpublished ones.
Books for Celebrating the Liturgy of the Word and Biblical Manuscripts from the 9th to the 12th Century in the Collection of the Archdiocesan Archive of Gniezno, p. 101–138
The Archdiocesan Archive of Gniezno holds in its collections seven codices (with the proviso made about Ms 600) and nine manuscript fragments containing Biblical texts or books for the liturgy of the Word, dated for the period up to the end of the 12th century. This list will be completed or corrected only after all manuscripts are precisely dated according to their paleographical traits. The present account, unfortunately, does not fully reflect the reality of codices functioning in medieval Gniezno because library catalogues for this period did not survive. Manuscript fragments were being removed from the bindings of acts or other library codices, mostly in the early 1960s. Dating of these acts or codices indicates that the discussed fragments of parchment were used as waste material, mainly in the 17th century, and until that time, they were stored on the premises of the archives and the chapter library, either uncut (leaves in unused books) or as loose parchment waste. However, for years now, the deconstruction of early-modern bindings produced using manuscript codices has not been continued in Gniezno; hence, few findings in this area can be expected. Discoveries may instead result from further studies within the project “Manuscripta.pl”.
Eighteenth and Nineteenth-century Autograph of the von Arnim and Brentano Families from the Berlin Sammlung Autographa Collection – Problems, Discoveries, Perspectives, p. 139–176
The Autographa Collection (Sammlung Autographa), previously held at the Preußische Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and now in Cracow’s Jagiellonian Library, includes numerous autograph manuscripts and other documents by well-known members of the von Arnim and Brentano families from the 18th and 19th century – for example, Achim and Bettina von Arnim, Clemens Brentano, Sophie Mereau – as well as less famous figures. The items in the collection include their correspondence with family members and friends, with major figures in culture and science, rulers and editors, as well as people otherwise unknown or unidentified. There are also literary and musical manuscripts, portraits, drawings, notes, source materials, passports, contracts, accounts, court summons and so on. Some of these items have already been studied or published, with varying success. Others have not yet attracted scholarly interest and little is known about them. This vast resource constitutes a major research challenge, with many questions and doubts arising on closer scrutiny of the items. This paper summarises the results, insights and conclusions from the identification and description of these autograph manuscripts, part of the flagship project entitled ‘European Heritage in the Jagiellonian Library: Digital Authoring of the Berlin Collections. Core Facility’ implemented at the Jagiellonian University. It discusses the state of preservation of the material, key features of each author’s documents, manuscript sets and types, problems and possible solutions, major discoveries, as well as research possibilities and perspectives.
Two Unpublished Letters of 1838 and 1851 between József Teleki and János Nagy as Testimony of the Early Activities of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, p. 177–192
The article presents two unpublished letters from 1838 and 1851 written by József Teleki to János Nagy, two prominent figures in the early history of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The letters now form a part of the Autographa Collection (Sammlung Autographa), a collection of manuscripts from the former Prussian State Library in Berlin, now held in the Jagiellonian Library in Cracow.
The Lesser Art. On the Role of Typographer in Communist Poland, p. 193–215
The achievements of outstanding Polish typographers from the time of Communist Poland (PRL) have not been as yet thoroughly studied and popularized, either in Poland or internationally. Communist Poland is generally associated with ugly, poorly published books, however, Polish designers were often awarded in the prestigious Internationale Buchkunst-Ausstellung contest in Leipzig which was a review of the accomplishments of international publishing. The typographic awareness at the time was relatively low, even among the circles associated with books and the publishing market. One of the reasons being that the books’ graphic design was regarded as marginal by the artistic circles. The graphic designers considered as important were first of all the ones affiliated to the ‘Polish Poster School’ for whom the Polish regime created favourable conditions, e.g., at universities. Designing books, magazines, and leaflets was strongly marginalized. Under such circumstances the group that stood out were the artists affiliated to the opinionforming Poligrafika journal, the first post-WW II magazine dedicated to publishing, which from the very beginning would focus strongly on the importance of aestheticism of print, particularly in its self-contained supplement Litera. It published articles by such prestigious typographers, as: Adrian Frutiger, Albert Kapr, Tibor Szántó, Jan Tschichold, David Kindersley, or Hermann Zapf. An important role was also played by the Polish Association of Book Publishers (Polskie Towarzystwo Wydawców Książek, PTWK), reactivated in 1956. In 1957, the first ‘Best Published Book of the Year’ Contest was organized; with time, it became the most prestigious of the kind in Poland (this year it will be celebrating its 65th edition). Thanks to these efforts in PRL there appeared new designs and projects worth appraising and disseminating. Of a model quality, this output is today worth being shared with a wider public with the use of the universally available digital tools. What is more, in the times when anybody can publish a book, showcasing good models is particularly important. There is a constant need to continually boost the aesthetics of Polish books.
Use of Facebook Fan Pages in Polish Provincial Public Libraries (2011–2024), p. 216–242
This study aimed to investigate the extent to which Polish provincial public libraries used the Facebook platform by analyzing their fan pages from 2011 to 2024, focusing on factors such as the number of fans, frequency of publications, type of content, hashtags and level of user interaction. The results show that Facebook played a significant role in the activities of libraries, enabling them to reach a wider audience and contribute effectively to building an engaged community. This was a standard social media tool, as all the libraries surveyed used this social networking site in their activities. However, the level of user engagement varied among the libraries. This article presents original empirical research that should be of value to public librarians in general and more specifically to those in Poland since, to date, there has been no comparative analysis of Polish provincial public libraries’ activity on Facebook over several years.
Manuscripts in Online Library Catalogues – Metadata , p. 243–278
This article discusses selected standards for describing manuscript volumes by comparing data from the printed and electronic catalogues of four libraries: The National Library, the Jagiellonian Library, the Scientific Library of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAAS and PAS) in Cracow, and the Princes Czartoryski Library. The article presents the benefits of compiling and making metadata about manuscripts available online in accordance with the MARC21 and Dublin Core standards.
From Book Culture to Library Culture in the Context of Information Technology, p. 279–307
This article explores the concepts of book culture and library culture, highlighting their interconnections. Book culture refers to the social circulation of information, data, and content fixed in the form of the printed codex. Library culture remains closely connected to book culture, as it continues to rely on information carriers largely produced within its paradigm. However, library culture is a broader concept, encompassing a wider range of practices, media, and institutional frameworks. Its primary objective is the preservation, organization, and dissemination of collections. It is significantly shaped by advancements in information technologies, which offer essential tools for managing various information carriers, including, among others, printed codex books. Consequently, information technologies drive transformations in both library culture (through the introduction of digital tools that facilitate library operations) and book culture (by offering new digital tools that accelerate the social circulation of books). Together, these technologies play a crucial role in supporting the evolving
functions and objectives of library culture.Activity of Italian GLAM Institutions in Promoting Diversity and Supporting People from the LGBTQ+ Community, p. 308–348
The subject of the article is the activities of the Italian GLAM sector institutions in the field of promoting inclusiveness and openness to the problems of people from the LGBTQ+ community. The main goal is to present selected initiatives undertaken to support non-heteronormative people and to present Italian galleries, museums, libraries, and archives as institutions playing an important role in promoting diversity. A multiple case study method was used to review the activities undertaken within the most important institutions conducting information and cultural activities in selected regions of Italy. As a result of the analysis, it was noted that activities related to promoting diversity in the Italian GLAM sector institutions in relation to people from the LGBTQ+ community are more often undertaken in the northern and central parts of Italy, while in the southern regions of the country such activities are carried out incidentally or only on the occasion of the celebration of Pride Month. The research revealed the existence of a large number of documentation centres whose main objective is to take care of preserving the legacy of the LGBTQ+ community, to carry out activities promoting inclusiveness in Italian society, and
to engage in dialogue with representatives of cities and local communities. The activities of Italian GLAM institutions that go beyond the catalogue of typical information services require a deeper analysis. Libraries, archives, museums, and art galleries have the opportunity to play an important role in promoting appropriate attitudes, also taking an active part in the fight against prejudice, especially towards non-heteronormative people. This is of particular importance in Italy – a country with strong Catholic traditions, which is also the cultural cradle of Europe.We Make Time Insignificant. The Women’s Archive – Aims, Activities, Methods, p. 349–371
This article presents the assumptions and results of two research projects funded by the National Programme for the Development of the Humanities and conducted at the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in the years 2013–2024: Women’s Archive: Women Writers and Women’s Archive: Continuation, that is the online database of women’s autobiographical relics Women’s Archive (http://archiwumkobiet.pl), the Women’s
Archive Repository (http://repozytorium.archiwumkobiet.pl) and the editorial series Women’s Archive: Documents, including a digital edition of Maria Jadwiga Strumff’s Pamiętnik masażystki (http://edycje.archiwumkobiet.pl). It provides information on the contents of the Database, the nature of the Repository, and the assumptions of the editorial series. It also highlights the ideas that guided the creators of the project.Interest in the Issues of Academic Libraries in Poland in the Years 1980–2023 in the Light of Data from the SCOPUS Database , p. 372–413
Purpose: The authors of this article aim to offer a comprehensive overview of the interest exhibited by Polish researchers in academic libraries. By utilizing data from the Scopus database, the authors seek to identify the specific topics they explore and establish the global impact of their research output. Methods: Analyses were conducted on publications by Polish researchers dealing with academic libraries between 1980 and 2023, identified through a search of the Scopus database. The bibliometric method and content analysis were employed in the research. A comprehensive analysis was conducted to examine the number of publications, their types, and linguistic profiles. The study also looked into the journals where the articles were published, the national and international networks of cooperation between authors, correlations between citations and altmetric indicators, and specific topics covered in the publications.
Results/Conclusions: A total of 79 articles were analyzed. Increased interest in academic libraries among Polish researchers has been noted since 2017. The analyzed set of publications proved the dominance of papers produced in English (75%), the high share of journal articles (96%), and their dispersion in academic journals (41 journal titles were identified). Additionally, researchers demonstrated a proclivity towards publishing articles in journals not limited to LIS but encompassing other disciplines, reflecting a multidisciplinary orientation (70.3% of articles). The study’s findings demonstrated limited cooperation among Polish researchers involved in academic libraries with foreign partners (7.5% of articles), indicating a preference for domestic collaboration. Nearly half of the papers (49.3%) were cited, and 44.2% were accompanied by altmetric indicators. Mendeley manager revealed a strong correlation between citations and references, whereas a weak correlation was observed between citations and mentions on Facebook. The conclusions drawn from the content analysis revealed a pronounced interest in library and information processes and services, with a specific research focus on electronic resources, services, and products. In contrast, research data management, the social capital of libraries, information literacy, and library architecture garnered moderate interest. No research interest was noted in library staff and library users’ behavior.
Originality/Value: The authors established the limited visibility of Polish researchers’ output in the Scopus database and the lack of publications by prominent Polish LIS representatives. This outcome can be attributed directly to the limited indexation of Polish scientific journals in the field of LIS within this database, indicating its negative evaluation as a reliable and comprehensive resource for monitoring the status and development trends of LIS.