Pagrindinės bibliotekininkystės sąvokos Vaclovo Biržiškos redaguotose enciklopedijose

THE MAIN LIBRARY SCIENCE CONCEPTS IN ENCYCLOPEDIAS EDITED BY VACLOVAS BIRŽIŠKA Much has been said and written about Vaclovas Biržiška’s contributions to Lithuanian culture and, through it, of course, to books. It is therefore worth looking at a somewhat narrower sphere of cultural activity—libraries and related matters—and considering the influence of V. Biržiška himself and the other people of blessed memory who worked with him in preparing a universal encyclopedia. We will examine which library science concepts are explained in the universal encyclopedias whose editor-in-chief was V. Biržiška, and compare their explanations in the “Lithuanian Encyclopedia,” published in Kaunas, and the “Encyclopedia of Lithuanians,” which appeared later in the United States of America. “Biblio (Gr. biblos—book, biblion—little book), the initial element of words related to the science of books <…>” (3, Vol. 2, p. 473); we will therefore examine such concepts found in these two encyclopedias. We will begin with the term bibliography, since the field of activity it denotes dates back to ancient times. In the “Lithuanian Encyclopedia” (2, pp. 834–847), no fewer than 13 columns are devoted to the concept of “bibliography.” The word’s origin is given, that is, the languages from which it derives, the abbreviation of its name, its etymon, and its translation into Lithuanian. This is followed by an account of the concept itself and how it has changed; it is explained what should not be called bibliography, since “other bibliographers tend to identify B. with the science of books (Russian книговедение, German Bücherkunde, Polish księgoznmawstwo)” (2, Vol. 3, pp. 834–847). In addition, the reasons why bibliography is needed are explained broadly and in fairly accessible terms, both for scholars and for students. In the “Encyclopedia of Lithuanians,” 9 columns are devoted to this concept. An etymological explanation of the word and an account of the concept are also provided: “in its older sense and meaning, the science of the book in general. Over time, the concept of B. narrowed, and today it means the science of describing books, as well as the listing and description of books themselves” (3, Vol. 2, pp. 474–478). The tasks and origins of bibliography are set out, world experience is discussed, information is provided on Lithuanian bibliographies in various fields of science, newspaper bibliography is surveyed, and the pioneers of bibliography are mentioned. In addition to this basic information, both— 147 encyclopedias include articles on the Institute of Bibliography and the publication “Bibliography News”; the Boston encyclopedia also provides information on bibliographical societies and congresses. The encyclopedias under discussion contain about ten less common words whose first element is biblio-. One of them is found only in the “Lithuanian Encyclopedia,” where not only is the etymology of the word bibliognozija given, but it is also described as “a term that Rev. Jonas Juozas Rivė (1730–1791) attempted to introduce in his work ‘La chasse aux bibliographes et antiquaires mal advisés’” (2, Vol. 3, p. 834). The term is defined as used in this work, and it is explained that, in contrast to “bibliography as the description of books and bibliography as the art of speaking about books in terms of their content or history <...>, this term never caught on” (Ibid.). Another word proposed by the same J. J. Rivė that failed to catch on is bibliologija. Interestingly, both encyclopedias identify it as a term and attempt to reveal the concept’s content. The “Lithuanian Encyclopedia” explains the term’s use more extensively, especially in Russia, where A. M. Loviaginas, one of the founders of the Bibliology Society, acknowledged that bibliography and bibliology are synonyms (2, Vol. 3, p. 848). Reading the article on the same subject in the “Encyclopedia of Lithuanians,” we note that the ideas are expressed more concisely here, and the concept is explained very specifically; it is also explained that “because the term’s scope was expanded too greatly, it failed to take hold, since those fields are studied by specialized disciplines” (3, Vol. 2, p. 479). Both encyclopedias provide information about bibliophily as a particular field of activity, as well as about the origin and development of the concept itself. The three-column article in the “Lithuanian Encyclopedia” on this subject is somewhat confusing, although the main point is explained well enough. The article in the “Encyclopedia of Lithuanians” is a little different: it is more fluently written, and here bibliophily is described not only as “a French neologism (bibliophilie), which appeared in the 17th century,” but is also compared with another similar term, sometimes used alongside it, philobiblia (after de Bury’s 13th-century book “Philobiblion,” which first discussed at length the love of books). Furthermore, it is emphasized that “the term bibliophily is distinguished from bibliomania—an unhealthy attachment to books” (3, Vol. 2, p. 473). 148 The encyclopedias also contain several compound words used somewhat less frequently, whose first element is biblio. Both encyclopedias present interpretations of the concepts “bibliomania” and “bibliomancy” (2, Vol. 2, p. 479; 3, Vol. 3, p. 348), while the Kaunas encyclopedia explains the meaning of “bibliokleptomania” in a single sentence. Having reviewed compound terms that are more or less commonly used today, as well as those that have failed to take hold for various reasons, one of the most important concepts, “library,” which has taken root and so far remained unchanged, should be discussed. The article on libraries occupies 20 columns in the “Lietuviškoji enciklopedija” and 14 in the “Lietuvių enciklopedija.” First, the origin of the word itself is given, followed by an explanation of the concept: “a cultural institution intended for a wider or narrower circle of readers, systematically supplemented according to a plan with books and other printed matter, housed in premises specially adapted for the purpose and managed by professional librarians. The term B. acquired this meaning and sense only in the 19th century” (3, Vol. 2, p. 479). It is then explained that “libraries in the USA most precisely meet the definition of the term,” since “a significant number of B. do not meet one or another requirement of that definition” (2, Vol. 3, pp. 850–870); and that “the improper organization of B. was also reflected in their names. For example, in Lithuania the word knygynas was long used instead of the term B.—a collection of books corresponding to a stage in the development of B. when books had to be gathered in one place, without concern for whom the collections were intended. In contemporary B., the knygynas, elsewhere called a magazinas, constitutes only the organizational part of B., without which no B. can exist, but which does not encompass the entirety of B.” (3, Vol. 2, p. 479). “Lietuviškoji enciklopedija” also includes the concept of “librarianship” and explains its content, although it is not identified terminologically. “Librarianship brings together everything that every librarian needs to know. It concerns matters related to the organization, fitting-out, management, administration, expansion, and preservation of B., and methods of work involving readers (especially in public B.). All these questions together ordinarily constitute the content of librarians’ courses and library schools” (2, Vol. 3, pp. 850–870). In addition, literature on librarianship is listed, three items of which are in Lithuanian. Both encyclopedias also present a second meaning of bibliotekos, which is identified by a term only in “Lietuvių 149 enciklopedija,” namely: “biblioteka is a term frequently used in various languages to name a series of books on a particular subject or with varied content, or a journal” (3, Vol. 2, p. 486). Both the Kaunas encyclopedia and the one published in Boston also contain further articles on subjects associated with librarianship, such as catalog, cataloging, card index, decimal classification; information is provided on the world’s most important libraries, the history of libraries, library technology, and library laws, as well as on broader cultural phenomena such as the book, its history, the first books, book publishing, book carriers, the book-carrying movement, bookbinding, and the origins of this craft. A separate article is devoted to reading and its perception; it discusses the quality and quantity of reading and methods of teaching reading, and indicates when and by whom the term dokumentacijos was first used. The encyclopedia’s more important articles and their authors are listed at the beginning of each volume. Among the several dozen major articles in the second volume of “Lietuvių enciklopedija” are articles written by Vc. Biržiška himself on bibliofiliją, bibliografiją bei biblioteką. The third volume of “Lietuviškoji enciklopedija” highlights not only topics but also articles on the institute of bibliography, bibliology, and bibliomania. In other volumes of “Lietuvių enciklopedija,” the major articles mentioned include P. Skardžius’s article on encyclopedia, Č. Grincevičius’s on incunabulum, pedagogical section editor P. Maldeikis’s on reading, P. Gautis and V. Čivinskas’s on book, J. Švaistas–Balčiūnas’s on book carriers, and several others. Literatūra 1. Lietuviškoji enciklopedija / Vyr. red. V. Biržiška. K.: Spaudos fondas. T. 1–10. 1933–1941. 2. Lietuvių enciklopedija / Vyr. red. V. Biržiška. Boston: LEL. T. 1–36. 1953–1969. Nijolė BLIŪDŽIUVIENĖ 150