"Diagnosis: Bibliophilia", 2010

BIBLIOPHILIA – LOVE AND RESPONSIBILITY

The term bibliophilia evokes various associations. Some associate it with an aristocratic hobby of collecting antique books, others with a morbid collection of publications, or bibliomania, and others with snobbery. Bibliophilia, like the love of books, can have many forms and forms. According to its content, it primarily reflects a person's special connection with the book. Both book lovers (bibliophiles in the broad sense) and collectors of rare books (bibliophiles in the narrow sense) collect, read, and cherish books with great dedication. These activities, which require significant time and financial costs, are part of their identity and spiritual life. For bibliophiles, a book is not only a source of information, but also a source of great pleasure, joy of knowledge, childish excitement or even passion. These feelings are well illustrated by the way of eroticizing books among Western bibliophiles, comparing them to women, which took hold as early as the thirteenth century with Richard de Bury's famous treatise Philobiblon. When evaluating a bibliophile's love for books, we cannot forget that bibliophilia also means love for one's history, culture, and country. True bibliophilia is based not only on the hobby of accumulating a personal library, but also on great responsibility.

Bibliophiles are identified with snobs who care about their aristocratic image as a collector. I think that what separates a true bibliophile from a snob is the values on which the attitude towards the book is based. A true bibliophile understands the social, not only personal, value of a book. For him, an old book is an important part of the cultural heritage, allowing him to get to know his country, his nation, and, in the end, himself. A bibliophile evaluates a book for its artistic value, release date, number of copies, binding or ex-libris. It is equally important to him that the book he has or is intensively hunted for is part of his culture, history, statehood or nationality. Vaižgantas, who has devoted a large part of his life to the accumulation of his personal library, said that he is a more respectable bibliophile than those collectors who collect books only because of their appearance and appearance, whom he derisively called "entertainers". Vaižgantas' words "I am a true Lithuanian, you old Lithuanians for whom books were a part of life, not entertainment" reflect the values that have always been cherished by dedicated Lithuanian bibliophiles. A true bibliophile is not and cannot be just a "lavish entertainer".

When we write about cultural heritage, we first of all mean those things of culture of the past that are important and necessary for the person of the present to preserve. The aforementioned understanding of the book as an important part of heritage also determines the bibliophile's special sense of responsibility. In contrast to the ordinary snob, he assumes the duty to cherish a piece of heritage that falls into his hands. A true bibliophile understands that neither he nor anyone else can own the right of ownership to a book that is a cultural value. Cultural heritage is that part of the legacy of the past in which every generation of society is interested and has the right to dispose of it. Therefore, with the joy of a rare and valuable book, a true bibliophile also feels the concern to leave it for future generations. This is a great responsibility. It is not enough to physically protect a book that is important for culture and history from decay. An important duty of a bibliophile is to ensure that the book falls into the right hands after him, who will protect it with no less care. In order to ensure the continuity of our traditions and culture, you need to know exactly to whom the heritage that is at your disposal but does not belong to you will go after you.

The need to preserve cultural values is also universally recognised by the international community. As early as 1974, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), adopting the Convention on Measures for the Prohibition of the Illegal Import, Export and Transfer of the Right of Ownership of Cultural Property, declared that cultural property is one of the main elements of civilization and national culture, and their true value can be determined only by knowing as much as possible about their origin, history and traditional environment. That convention provided, inter alia, for the obligation of States to protect the cultural values present on their territory, thus ensuring their legacy for future generations. Respect for cultural continuity is not only a bibliophile's duty, but also a universally recognized value.

The true traditions of bibliophilia, inseparable from the duty to pass on the press heritage to future generations, have been cherished in Lithuania since ancient times. Such noble families of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as the Radvilas, Sapiegas, and Tiškevičius were famous for their unique libraries of their estates. This tradition was continued during the historically difficult interwar period, when bibliophilia was increasingly associated with elite aristocratic culture. Lithuanian bibliophiles of the interwar period often focused on the classical activities of Western bibliophile clubs as a way of life promoted in the nineteenth century. The founders of the European Bibliophilia Movement, who professed the historical values of bibliophilia and book culture. In addition to cultural incentives, this lifestyle also required considerable financial resources. As book critics note, most of the Lithuanian bibliophiles of that time were educated, people of high spiritual culture and broad erudition, who implemented their interest in books through creativity, scientific cognitive and research activities, seeking to reveal discoveries and acquired knowledge to the public, and to preserve the created libraries for future generations as part of cultural heritage. The most prominent bibliophiles of Lithuania not only felt a responsibility to preserve the accumulated heritage, but were also great patriots of their country. "I collected books in various languages that touched on Lithuania's past, but the history of the development of Lithuanian art and culture dominated, and I looked for Lithuanian studies everywhere. And I did it in my free time, after work... I was sick of these things," said bibliophile Paulius Galaunė, who embodied the ideals of Lithuanian bibliophilia at that time. It is on these ideals that current bibliophilia should be oriented.

The special responsibility of Lithuanian bibliophiles is determined by the painful historical experience of our country. For many years, the heritage of Lithuanian books was devastated by press bans, wars, and occupations. An invaluable part of Lithuania's history and culture was brutally looted or destroyed. The conditions of the Soviet occupation were unfavorable for everything related to the continuation and preservation of Lithuanian cultural traditions. During those five decades, the collections and libraries of the Lithuanian press were despised. Elite culture was practically destroyed during this time. Therefore, after the restoration of independence, we must feel a great obligation to carefully preserve what has survived in museums, archives, private and public libraries. In this respect, the role of bibliophiles, who cherish our press heritage, is special. In private collections today, we can find unique Lithuanian or Lithuanian-related books that have survived all historical adversities. Lithuanian bibliophiles, by supplementing their collections at international auctions or with books purchased from foreign collectors, return an important part of its history to Lithuania. I believe that we must feel responsible not only for preserving the books we have for future generations, but also for returning the lost but surviving press heritage to our country. We must return what belongs to him.

Twenty years of independence mark a kind of revival of Lithuanian bibliophilia, which was cherished by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and intensively revived during the interwar period. The cultural, scientific and material value of the press heritage is growing at the same rate as the need for its collection. However, when collecting and nurturing personal book collections, we must not forget the ideals of true bibliophilia, and at the same time the responsibility for what we have, but what does not belong to us. (Dr. Jaunius Gumbis)