The chairman of the Lithuanian Community in Switzerland, Jūratė Caspersen, opened the exhibition.
On March 3, the National Library of Lithuania welcomed the traveling photo exhibition,“Lithuanian Switzerland,” organized by the Lithuanian Community in Switzerland. The chairman of the Lithuanian Community in Switzerland, Jūratė Caspersen, opened the exhibition.
The exhibition was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lithuania’s statehood restoration. Since July 17th of last year, it has been traveling across Lithuania, visiting cities and towns, cultural centers, educational and scientific institutions, museums and libraries.
The photographs, shot by Swiss-Lithuanians, depict their life and activities, while fostering national identity, language, culture and traditions in Switzerland.
In fall of 2016, senior researcher of Lithuanian Studies Department at the National Library of Lithuania, Dr. Dalia Cidzikaitė, took part in a web documentary on contemporary migration “La Crise Migratoire et Nous” (in French and Lithuanian) created by French Institute in Lithuania.
Sixteen participants, from various walks of life, such as historians, a writer, a journalist, a lawyer, a philosopher, and others, shared their ideas about the history of migration, past and current events and lessons we should learn and remember in the future. The conversations which were filmed in France, Lithuania and Canada offer a broad view on current migration crisis in the world.
This fall, two National Library of Lithuania researchers visited Lithuanian archives abroad. In September, Dr. Giedrė Milerytė- Japertienė, senior researcher at Lithuanian Studies Research Department, travelled to New York, US. She, along with colleagues from the Lithuanian Central State Archive spent three weeks working in the archives of the organization, Lithuanian Alliance of America. The Lithuanian Alliance of America was founded in 1886 in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. By establishing the organization, its members raised three objectives: to purchase land and property, establish schools, houses for orphans and older people, and build Lithuanian churches; to establish labour exchange for manual workers, where fellow Lithuanians could get support in finding a job; and to provide financial support for relatives of a deceased member. Continue reading “Researching Archives in the US and Italy”
One hundred years ago, the US government declared November 1st “Lithuanian Day.” Due to the lobbying efforts of American Lithuanians, in 1916 President Woodrow Wilson officially designated a special day on which public collections will be made all over the United States for the relief of the war-stricken people of Lithuania. It was the first official act of the President of the United States recognizing the existence of the Lithuanian nation. On November 1, 1916, hundreds of American Lithuanians took to the cities, towns, and streets urging to donate to their compatriots in Lithuania. As the result of this
action, $176,863.28 were collected.
To mark this event the National Library of Lithuania hosted a presentation of the book, Lietuvos valdžios ryšiai su JAV lietuviais 1926–1940 metais: suartėjimo kelių paieškos (2016) [Connections between the Lithuanian Government and Lithuanian Americans in 1926-1940: Searching for Ways of Consolidation] by Juozas Skirius. The event was attended by the author of the book, historian Prof. Dr. Juozas Skirius, Prof. Dr. Aivas Ragauskas, Dr. Vitalija Stravinskienė, Prof. Dr. Vida Pukienė, Parliament member, diplomat Dr. Žygimantas Pavilionis and senior researcher of the National Library of Lithuania Dr. Giedrė Milerytė-Japertienė.
Karile Vaitkute
Editor of The Lithuanian Museum Review
At the National Library of Lithuania, from left: Head of the Lithuanian Studies Department Jolanta Budriūnienė and The Lithuanian Museum Review Editor Karilė Vaitkutė.
After eight years of reconstruction the National Library of Lithuania was opened to the public. After the reconstruction, the Library will continue to be dedicated to the readers, but it will also host creative activities, projects and trainings. The
Library is going to work according to the model of the British Library.
In August of 2016 I had a chance to visit the renovated Lithuanian National
Library by an invitation from the Head of the Lithuanian Studies Department Jolanta Budriūnienė and the Department’s Chief Researcher Dalia Cidzikaitė. The Lithuanian Studies Department deals with collecting and showcasing books, periodicals and archival material published by Lithuanians abroad, including Lithuanian Americans. Mrs. Budriūnienė expressed a great interest in cooperation between the Lithuanian National Library and the Balzekas Museum which is one of the major centers of
Lithuanians in the US.
Chief Researcher Dalia Cidzikaitė at her work desk at the National Library of LIthuania
At the moment, the Lithuanian National Library makes the publications of
Lithuanians abroad accesible to the public in the Library’s reading room. I was excited to see the latest issue of the Lithuanian Museum Review on the top shelf among other publicatios of emigre Lithuanians.Chief specialist Dalia Cidzikaitė showed me the holdings of the Lithuanian Studies Department. The archives hold books, periodicals and archival material including those that belonged to famous Lithuanians, such as Stasys Lozoraitis. Ms Cidzikaitė pointed out that books published by
Publications of emigre Lithuanians. The Lithuanian Museum Review magazine is on top shelf on the right.
Americans of Lithuanian descent, such as their memoirs and/or fiction are very welcomed at the Lithuanian National Library. Those interested in donating are asked to contact Ms Cidzikaitė at dalia. cidzikaite@gmail.com. The National Library has a variety of virtual exhibits
which might be of great interest to the readers. One such exhibit might be of particular interest as it deals with material published in foreign press during 1990, the year of restoration of Lithuania’s independence.
The Lithuanian Museum Review Jul – Sep 2016 Issue 255
The participants of the first event. Photo: Utena A. and M. Miškiniai Public Library
A pilot educational project “Conversations about Emigration,” last year implemented by National Library of Lithuania Lithuanian Research Department in Ukmergė town, this year has expanded its geography and came to the Utena County. Utena was not chosen accidentally. It is one of the leading Lithuanian counties in emigration. The first event of the “Conversations about Emigration-2” took place in Utena A. and M. Miškiniai Public Library on September 27.
This year, our project includes five high schools of the Utena County. Project’s participants will attend lectures by the VMU Lithuanian Emigration Institute researchers about the history of Lithuanian diaspora. They will also attend a workshop where they will learn how to use oral history method and compile a questionnaire. The students will be taught how to conduct an interview, to prepare the material, transcribe and summarize it. Each participant will have to record an interview with two immigrants. At the end of the project, the gathered oral history material will be deposited in public libraries in Molėtai, Anykščiai, Zarasai, Ignalina and Utena.
In the middle of the project, the students will come to Vilnius. Here they will participate in a discussion-meeting with emigres, who returned to Lithuania, hear about the dark side of immigration – modern slavery. The final event, debates, will be carried out by project’s partne
