There is an undeniable feeling of euphoria when a researcher finds that one source that they have been seeking but were unable to find, having even wished and hoped for its existence. Yet we stumble upon it somehow. Such an encounter reassures and guides the scholar to innumerable possibilities. At its core, a published guide contains an invitation. It is timeless. We see such an invitation in Lukáš Babka’s meticulously researched guide to the Slavonic Library’s history, Slovanská knihovna 1924–2024 (Průvodce po dějinách, fondech a službách), including its preeminent collections and world-renowned services. At first glance, one would think that this is a “typical library guide.” It is much more than that. Babka begins by providing us with the history of the Slavonic Library, carefully weaving together the contributions of scholars, émigrés, and librarians who turned this institution into an internationally recognized research center.
With each footnote, Babka places the Slavonic Library in broader historical context, including the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, ideological and censorship apparatuses, repression of library staff, and the transition to democratic rule. Often the names and stories of individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes of institutions disappear. Not here. Babka brings their stories and experiences to the forefront. One such individual is Milena Klímová, Director of the Slavonic Library from 1992–99, for whom this guide is dedicated. The Slavonic Library was the place where scholars, booksellers, publishers, émigrés, curators, librarians, and writers came together and still do to this day. Babka’s section on the history of this storied institution is rich, compelling, and deeply moving.
The next four sections of this guide contain information about unique collections, as well as bibliographies of sources and publications that the author has included for the reader. In “Library Fund Guide,” Babka provides authoritative descriptions for nine collections. These include the Belarusian, Bulgarian, South Slavic, Sorbian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Ukrainian, and the General Slavic collection. He notes that these national sections were established when the Slavonic Library was founded in 1924. Today, the Slavic Library Fund has well over 900,000 items. Furthermore, Babka’s expertly curated descriptions of two manuscript collections (Aleksandr Grigorev’s manuscript collection and the trove of administrative documents from seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Russia), the cartographic collection, and special collections of posters, art works, photographs, and institutional and personal archives would provide students and established scholars alike with a roadmap to discover these unique collections.
Perhaps the most significant contribution that Babka makes with this publication is the compilation of two extensive bibliographies. The “List of primary and secondary sources” and the “List of the books published by the Slavonic Library” (listed chronologically). These unlock the intellectual history and scholarship about the collections but also provide a remarkable window into the publishing activity of the Slavonic Library. A significant number of these publications are bibliographies on different subjects, literary personalities, and guides to materials held at the library, including newspapers and journals.
On September 5, 2024, at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Slavonic Library’s founding, Dr. Lukáš Babka organized an international symposium entitled, “Slavic Studies Librarianship and its Influence on Contemporary Public Education.” This symposium shed light on librarianship, collections, and services, and this guide is a further testament to the Slavonic Library’s founding and its many accomplishments.
