An interview with the director of the Municipal Public Library in Bolesławiec, mgr Wacława Skawińska
-At the beginning, I would like to ask about the history of the municipal library.
- The County Library in Bolesławiec was the third library established in Lower Silesia. It was opened on 27 November 1945. The first manager was Joanna Waszak.
- What were the library’s activities at that time, and what was the state of its book collection?
- In 1945–1946, the library’s activities covered only the town. By the end of 1945, it already had 340 volumes, obtained from individual donors or purchased with funds collected from the public. Several dozen books were sent by the Ministry of Education; some were purchased from its own funds, derived from subscription fees and a grant from the culture and art department of the local county office. At the end of 1948, the collection comprised 2,851 volumes, and the number of regular readers was 218. In 1950, the Municipal Public Library was established with 619 volumes. This number rose to 1,880 after a year and to 4,170 after three years. At that time, 963 readers used the Municipal Library, and 10,111 loans were recorded. In 1954, the libraries merged again, forming the County and Municipal Public Library, which operated until the country’s administrative reform, i.e. until 1975.
From that year, the MBP has operated as a Local Branch of the Provincial Public Library in Jelenia Góra and provides professional support to 15 local public libraries in the municipalities of Bolesławiec and Osiecznica, as well as in the Town and Municipality of Nowogrodziec. Workplace and hospital libraries in the town were also placed under its professional supervision.
-Let us now move on to current matters. What is the state of the book collection today?
-At the end of 1992, the collection comprised 99,940 thousand volumes, including special collections (records, cassettes and talking books).
-How many readers does the library have now, what is the number of loans and the average number of visits?
-In 1992, the number of readers was 8,803, and the number of visits was 63,088. A total of 172,273 volumes were borrowed for home use. The daily average was 350 people. The departments providing on-site access lent 18,199 volumes, including 12,755 magazines and 5,364 books.
- I would like to learn something about the library’s organizational structure. What are the main departments, and how many people work there...?
-The MBP’s structure is as follows:
1. The director, who manages the work of all departments;
2. The Collection Development and Processing Department, responsible for acquiring and processing books, magazines and audiovisual collections;
3. The Administrative Department;
4. The Collection Access Department. This department provides necessary library materials free of charge, conducts information services and promotes books and reading. It comprises: the Adult Lending Library, the Children’s and Youth Branch, the branch with the Phonographic Department at Wojska Polskiego Street (Young Worker’s House), and the Scientific Reading Room.
-What qualifications must someone who would like to work in a library have?
-In addition to general education, they should have specialist training in librarianship. Ideally, they should complete higher education in librarianship and scholarly information. In addition to the qualifications needed to work in a library, certain psychological predispositions are essential. Desirable qualities include ease in establishing contacts, a friendly attitude toward readers, accuracy and conscientiousness, and a good knowledge of literature.
-Apart from making its collection available, the library also conducts other activities...
-Of course. Exhibitions and occasional displays are organized, as are library lessons for primary and secondary schools, various art and reading competitions, story evenings, musical events, tours introducing visitors to the library’s work, and more. During the summer and winter holidays, activities are organized under the slogan “Holidays with a Book.”
We also conduct information services. We provide factual, bibliographic and library-related information. In 1992, we provided 24,814 pieces of information. We cooperate with schools and educational and cultural institutions. Professional placements are also held at our library. They provide additional training in librarianship. This year, we have a student from the State Library Training Centre in Jarocin.
-I have a question, perhaps an indiscreet one: what funds does the library have?
-The library’s budget is 2 billion 050 million zlotys, including 500 million for the renovation and adaptation of the building at Sądowa Street. We spend one and a half billion zlotys on maintaining the building. Ninety-three million is allocated to purchasing books, and 12 million to purchasing newspapers and magazines (subscriptions to 42 titles).
-Is the library’s relocation to a new facility planned?
-After the renovation and adaptation of the former nursery building at Sądowa Street, the departments from Kubika and Kaszubska streets and Piłsudskiego Square will be moved there. Only the branch will remain in its current location (at Wojska Polskiego Street).
-When will the new facility open?
-A longer closure of the library is anticipated during the move. The library in the new facility will probably open no earlier than December. Moving and preparing the lending service under the new conditions—with such a large collection—will take some time.
-Is a new department or more interesting events planned for the new facility?
-We plan to establish an expanded special collections department: records, talking books and video cassettes (mainly with school reading requirements in mind). We are also creating a reading-events room, where competitions, meetings with interesting people, musical evenings and other events will be held.
-Thank you for the interview,