Original scientific paper
Bjelovar’s Libraries and Reading Rooms in the beginning of the 20th Century
Zorka Renić
orcid.org/0000-0001-5328-3997
; Public Library “Petar Preradović”, Bjelovar, Croatia
Abstract
Bjelovar’s libraries and reading rooms in the beginning of the 20th century were of particularly notable social and cultural significance. At that time there were large changes in librarianship that were connected with the so called Public Libraries Movement. The work of the libraries that functioned in the 19th century continued and their task was expanded. Apart from the promotion of national, patriotic ideas and Croatian literature, libraries are engaged in the education of the wider classes of society. This is manifested in the work of the oldest and the most significant reading room that developed from the officer’s casino. The Reading Room changed its name in 1906 to the Croatian Reading Room. In the same year due to social and political circumstances of that period, the Serbian Reading Room separated from the main reading room and began with its own work. There is also a Library of Jewish Civil Society. The foundation of public libraries in Bjelovar such as the Croatian Public Library and the Croatian Public Library “Preradović” was an enormous effort. It was backed by branches of the Croatian Society for Public Education, students and academically educated citizens associated in “The Croat”Academic Ferial Club. Public libraries interceded for the cultural transformation of people, and the forms of their activities were literacy courses, lectures, amusement evenings, and private and general problem discussions. In particular the function of public libraries was their cooperation with schools and similar institutions. They included the countryside population, and their members collected books by themselves (gifts, donations or other libraries stocks – duplicates). Bjelovar’s press was directly involved in the foundation of public libraries and the functioning of the other libraries and reading rooms. That is why in Bjelovar’s periodicals (Independence, Bjelovarsko-Križevački Weekly) of this time, there were regular noted openings of new libraries and articles of their importance were being published, and the editorship was involved in the activities of book collecting and admittance of new members. Bjelovar’s libraries created under the influence of the public library movement had been functioning for a short time but their influence is significant for the entire Bjelovar librarianship and for the functioning of the library of Croatian Educational Craftsmen and Workers’ Society Golub. In the future, this library will support the education of the worker, craftsmen and merchant classes in Bjelovar .
Keywords
Bjelovar; reading rooms; 20th century; libraries; public libraries
Hrčak ID:
31738
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2008.
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