The Old Book exhibition, which has been in the library since 1993, opened in 2020 with new colours and new experiences. It illustrates the development of the printed book over more than half a millennium, from its infancy to 20th century publications. The exhibition and the accompanying terminal present the history of the book in a visual, informative and interactive way: cover decoration and binding techniques, the structure and layout of the book, the ornate title pages and initials, the superscriptions and manuscript inscriptions preserved in books, Renaissance publishing houses, banned books, famous scientific works and textbooks printed over a century ago, the most beautiful old editions preserved in the library, and many more interesting features that invite you to delve into the mysterious world of books.
The exhibition has been renovated as part of the project “The Old Book Opens for You”. The project was partly funded by the Council of Culture. In the Old Books exhibition we offer:
- Guided tours on the development of the old book, from the first printed books to 20th century publications;
- Themed tours, which take a deeper and more in-depth look at a selected phase of the book’s development;
- Cultural Passport education: “Discover the history of paper and learn how to preserve it” and “Fairy Tales“;
- Three educational programmes – “The Way of the Book”, “Childhood Authors and Old Illustrations Revisited”, “Initials of Old Books“;
- A self-guided journey along the path of an old book using the information-educational terminal, where you will not only find numerous illustrations revealing the pages of the books that are not visible in the exhibition, but you will also be able to make a word out of the initials or test your knowledge of the history of the book with a quiz.
For visiting the exhibition at K. Donelaičio St. 8 and for guided tours, please contact us by phone (+370 37) 32 43 17 or by e-mail seni_reti@azuolynobiblioteka.lt. Pre-registration is required. Guided tours and educational programmes are free of charge.
