22 March – 28 April: Spring Exhibition 2019

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19 March 2019

The Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania would like to invite you to Spring Exhibition 2019, which will present works of students from the Department of Sculpture at the Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA). The reference point for this exhibition is the annual open critique and review sessions of the Department of Sculpture, which allow audiences to see student works from all years in one space. Based on the model of those review sessions, the artworks on display at this exhibition are not limited by selection criteria such as year, theme or artistic direction. Curated with the students of the VAA Department of Sculpture, the Spring Exhibition 2019 provides an opportunity to see the works of fifteen authors that are distinctive for the consistent creative approach, ideas and aesthetic execution. In addition to this, the exhibition also shines a light on the collaboration between two educational institutions, revealing not only their ways of operating, but also what is fated to be unseen. In a certain sense, the situation of this exhibition is akin to a geological map, a diagram of a cross-section of the earth’s crust showing the uncovered geological layers and indicating what maybe lies beneath the surface.

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20–22 February: conference “Everyday Life History and its Approaches to Writing the History of Twentieth-Century Europe”

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8 February 2019

German Historical Institute Warsaw and its branch office in Vilnius organize a conference “Everyday Life History and its Approaches to Writing the History of Twentieth-Century Europe”. The conference will take place at Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.

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30 January – 10 February: exhibition “To Me There’s No Other Choice”

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18 January 2019

In commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day (27 January), Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania holds the exhibition entitled “To Me There’s No Other Choice” organized by the Swedish Institute. It is dedicated to Raoul Gustaf Wallenberg who has been designated as a Righteous Among the Nations. In 1944, this Swedish diplomat worked in the Nazi-occupied Hungary and saved thousands of Hungarian Jews by distributing certificates of protection to Jews and providing shelter to them in the buildings which came under the Swedish jurisdiction. After the Red Army seized Budapest in 1945, Wallenberg was arrested by the KGB and subsequently disappeared, never to be heard from again. It is believed that he died in the KGB Moscow prison in 1947.

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National Library Opens Exhibition “Encounters. NYLA Portraits”

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16 January 2019

“It’s always an achievement to meet a fellow human being,” said one of the organizers, Karolis Vyšniauskas, at the opening of the podcast exhibition, probably the first of its kind in Lithuania, set in the dimly lit Exhibition Hall of the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. He is a co-editor and host of Nanook, the team of media professionals creating new-generation Lithuanian journalism.

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23 January – 17 March: “De horribilibus monstris”: Fantastic Animals at the Library

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11 January 2019

Where do unicorns live and how to overcome a dragon – these and similar questions were explored by the natural historians, painters and scientists of ancient, medieval and modern ages. The advent and development of the printing press in the 16th century led to an increase in the number of books which greatly varied in content and featured horrible beasts, mythological creatures and fantastic animals. Books allowing readers to understand the world, accounts of the great explorers, scholarly treatises and artistic works blended myths and reality which were conveyed not only in words but also in various visual interpretations created by artists. Ignorance, fear and imagination probably most contributed to the emergence of these animals in the old prints.

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15 January – 15 March: exhibition “Meeting Minds. NYLA portraits”

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8 January 2019

“Journalism, like no other profession, is special in the way it allows you to meet another person. A microphone changes the atmosphere between two strangers. They start talking,” said the organizers of the exhibition, the Nanook team of media professionals creating new-generation Lithuanian journalism.  They invite everyone interested in the socio-political situation and communication to visit the Exhibition Hall of the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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21 December 2018

Dear All,

It is through our joint efforts that we have succeeded in enhancing the visibility, voice and reputation of the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania during this anniversary year. We have proved that we possess immense potential for change and growth. We have accomplished a great deal so far and achieved positive changes.

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National Library held discussions on cultural diplomacy

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11 December 2018

“I do not see any programme or strategy for protecting our spiritual oceans with its fauna and all the life in them,” said Prof. Vytautas Landsbergis, Chairman of the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas and former factual Head of State, at the international conference “The National Library’s Role in Cultural Diplomacy”. He suggested holding events on this broad and relevant topic at least once a month, if not every week.

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New books in foreign languages that you can take home

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7 December 2018

A few dozens of new additions in English and Russian languages have arrived on the shelves of the Leisure Books To Borrow collection at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. Sapiens and Homo Deus by Y. N. Harari and Vegetarian by H. Kang are among the most talked-about books so far this year. Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey is a début collection of poetry by an Indian-born Canadian poet. This internationally acclaimed and New York Times best-selling book has stirred up a storm in social media and has been translated into 35 languages including Lithuanian. Legal thrillers by J. Nesbo and J. Grisham are perfect for those who like unexpected plot twists, while classic literature lovers will enjoy the works by R. Bradbury, V. Woolf, G. Orwell, M. Attwood, E. M. Remarque, H. Balzac, or V. Nabokov.

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Vice: an Exhibition of the Paintings of Algimantas Černiauskas

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6 December 2018

The Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania will be hosting an exhibition of Algimantas Černiauskas’ abstract paintings under the title of Vice  –  this is one of the largest displays of painting in Vilnius this year. The exhibition is a vision of elemental painting and showcases the monumental paintings the artist created over the past seven years. In the classic exhibition format, Černiauskas develops his ideas of abstract image. His works are massive constructions of colour that have their roots in the modern school of Lithuanian painting. Instead of fully identifying with the inert expressive language of this school or avoiding it altogether, Černiauskas’ work critically explores its very limits.

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National Library Celebrates Anniversary of Grammar of the Slavic Language

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28 November 2018

The Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania hosted a celebration of the 400-year anniversary of Grammar of the Slavic Language (Букварь языка славенска). According to the organiser of the event, the Belarusian embassy in Lithuania, 2018 marked an important event in the history of the work – the completion of its publication in facsimile as part of an international research and publication project.

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Authority records created in Lithuania are part of the VIAF system

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22 November 2018

While implementing one of its most important strategical objectives of being a reliable partner in developing access to knowledge and information, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania has signed an agreement with OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) for becoming a participant of the VIAF (Virtual International Authority File) system. The main goal of the VIAF system is to link authority records from national bibliographic agencies from across the globe into a shared public-access system for searching nationally or regionally approved forms of authority records that meet the needs of all global users for using records in desired language variations, character set, and spelling. VIAF participants include national libraries and other organizations in 38 countries responsible for the creation of national authority records since 1998.

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Opening hours on the 23rd of November

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16 November 2018

Dear visitors, on the 23rd of November the National Library is closing at 3 p.m.

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12 November – 3 December: Exhibition “We want to be free, we will be free!”

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8 November 2018

The exhibition of historical records “We want to be free, we will be free!” is dedicated to the formation of the State of Latvia. In exhibition, which is held at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, you can also explore Latvia’s neighbor countries Lithuania and Estonia, Poland and Finland, which were founded or reinstated after World War I and also celebrate their centenaries in 2017–2018.

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8 November – 5 December: Exhibition “Reflections in a Shattered Mirror”

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8 November 2018

We invite you to visit the National Library Judaica Research Centre's exhibition “Reflections in a Shattered Mirror” dedicated to the Centenary of the Restored State of Lithuania.

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The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden Had a Chance to See Unique Items from Judaica Exhibition

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2 November 2018

On 2 November, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden Maria Christina Lundqvist paid a visit to the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. The guest was intrigued by the library’s Judaica collection as well as Vilna Collections Project implemented in cooperation with YIVO Institute in New York, both of which have received substantial coverage in the Lithuania and foreign media. The Ambassador visited the Reading Room and YIVO space at the Judaica Research Centre where she had the opportunity to explore the centre’s latest stand exhibition titled “Reflections in a Shattered Mirror”.

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Centennial Conference of the National Library of Estonia

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30 October 2018

On 25–26 of October Prof. Dr. Renaldas Gudauskas, Director General of the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, participated in the international conference entitled “Imagine a National Library” held at the National Library of Estonia. The event was dedicated to the 100th year anniversary of the main library of Estonia. The following were the main topics discussed at the conference: the challenges of the digital age, libraries’ engagement with society, social role of libraries, the library as a physical and virtual space, current functions and future prospects of national libraries, national libraries and cultural heritage.

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15 November: visual essay by Ingela Johansson “The nearest point to the free world, 1989” first screening and discussion

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29 October 2018

The Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania invites you to watch the visual essay by Swedish artist Ingela Johansson on Gotland Communiqué – a document, signed by Lithuanians from all over the world in Katthammarsvik, island of Gotland, in August 1989, on seeking their united, vital goal − Independence of Lithuania.

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National Library’s Participation in Locarno Film Festival Covered in New Publication

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16 October 2018

On 16 October, Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania was visited by Swiss gallery owner and art collector Arminio Sciolli. The guest presented the library with the latest (3rd) edition of the photography catalogue entitled “10 Days in Locarno”. This catalogue provides a comprehensive overview of the cultural event programme which was organized during the international film festival held at the start of August in Locarno, Switzerland, and was dedicated to the centenary of the restoration of Lithuania’s state. This cultural programme included an exhibition compiled by the National Library featuring books on the history, language, literature and art of our country as well as on Lithuania’s cultural and historical links to Switzerland and the canton of Ticino, the Italian-speaking area of Switzerland.

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A. Vasilenko’s Photography Exhibition “This is Vilnius” Opens at National Library

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11 October 2018

Andrejus Vasilenko is best known for his urban exploration project entitled “This is Vilnius”. The project started back in 2014 as the author’s personal blog on Facebook which has already racked up nearly 7,000 followers. The project aims to capture the city of Vilnius, to tell alternative stories of the city, and to raise public awareness of the fine-art/investigative/documentary genre of photography. The visitors who flocked to see Andrejus Vasilenko’s personal exhibition hosted at the National Library (which was the first presentation of the project in the city of Vilnius) thanked the photographer “for the opportunity to discover a different Vilnius”.

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