On the 10th of May the American Space was opened at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. It was established by agreement between the National Library and the US Embassy in Lithuania. The purpose of this space is to introduce visitors to US literature, culture, economy and history, and to promote cultural cooperation between the two countries.
The exhibition Essence of a Typographer. Niclaes Mollijns: Riga-Antwerp (25 May – 28 June) tells the story about Niclaes Mollijns, an apprentice of eminent European printer Christoph Plantin, who arrived in Riga in 1588 heralded the start of a long-awaited printing business, not only in Riga, but in the whole of Livonia.
KBR preserves the oldest illustrated manuscript in Dutch, Jacob van Maerlant’s Rijmbijbel. Because of its famous author, luxurious character and artistic level of illumination, this 13th-century codex is among the international masterpieces of the Middle Ages. On the occasion of the publication of the book “De Rijmbijbel van Jacob van Maerlant: het oudste geïllustreerde handschrift in het Nederlands”, the manuscript is put on display at the KBR museum from 23 May.
The annual Erland Kolding Nielsen Grant awards funds of up to €5,000 to national library projects which promote international collaboration and strengthens bonds between CENL libraries. In its meeting in April, the CENL Executive Committee reviewed all of the submissions and awarded three grants. We are delighted to announce that this year’s EKN grants go to: the National Library of Hungary, the National Library of France, and the National Library of Moldova. Find out more about this year’s grantees here.
On April 19, the National Library of Armenia launched its new website, with financial support from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Following an evaluation of the top European library sites, the new design includes accessibility tools, cross-database searching, and availability in four languages.
Special exhibition in the Papyrus Museum of the Austrian National Library: A Gift of the Nile. The Power of Water in Ancient Egypt from June 14, 2023 – May 5, 2024 presents unique papyri from the Greco-Roman period that document a large-scale, state-controlled water management for the fair distribution of the precious Nile water.
On May 5, 2023 the event “Through the Language of Koneski and Miladinovci to the World of Macedonian Folk Poetry,” took place in the main hall of the National and University Library, St. Clement of Ohrid. The event was opened with an address by the director of NUL, Rahmetula Kuqi. As part of this festive event, from the NUL’s rich collections, a selection of contemporary authors’ manuscripts was presented for the first time.
