When celebrated
Librarian’s Day 2023 in Our Country will be celebrated by all librarians, book experts, and critics. The holiday is not a red day of the calendar, but it is of no small importance. Holiday date – 27 May – was defined in 1995 and since then calls not to forget about the social significance of this profession. After all, it is the librarian who will help us in choosing the right literature, not to mention how pleasant it is to hold in our hands the printed version of our favorite book. Where, if not in the library, you can immediately meet an incredible number of various publications.
In many countries this holiday does not have a fixed date and is celebrated on the last Monday of October. It’s World Library Day.
history of the holiday
The first library appeared in Babylon in the second millennium BC. Then they were given a special meaning, they were called “houses of life”, “mental medicine”. Once upon a time, instead of papyrus books, there were clay tablets with cuneiform writing.
Libraries were considered a luxury item. It took several years to rewrite one book. Therefore, only rich nobles could afford them.
In the ancient world, public libraries did not exist at all. Only pharaohs, kings and priests could learn human wisdom from the chronicles.
An interesting fact is that, due to the high cost, the books were fastened with a chain, the length of which made it possible to remove the volume from the shelf, but not to take it out.
People have always sought to know the new and the unknown. For example, in Alexandria they handed over for copying all the books that were on the ships that called at the port. Thus, they collected in their treasuries all the knowledge of the world.
Over time, as libraries became more accessible, the number of books grew and became more difficult to navigate. Then the first librarians appeared. This profession was very honorable and important. Not everyone could become a worker; writers and scientists were chosen for this role. It was believed that obtaining the title of “honorary librarian” was more difficult than becoming an academic.
In Our Country, the first public library was opened on May 27, 1795 in St. Petersburg. It was called the Imperial Public Library, now it is the National Library. And only after two hundred years this date was decided to perpetuate. Therefore, since 1995, on May 27, a holiday has been celebrated – the All- Day of Libraries, which is also called the Day of the Librarian.
Holiday traditions
As on any holiday, congratulations from colleagues, relatives and friends to all librarians are heard on this day. They hold feasts, go out into nature, congratulate each other on their professional holiday. Honored workers are awarded with certificates of honor and memorable gifts. Literary meetings are held for visitors. Visiting cultural events, concerts, performances is also one of the traditions on the holiday.
Keep up with time
To this day, Our Country is considered the most reading power, therefore, in the age of information technology development, it is especially important not to forget and emphasize the importance of a book in a printed publication. Especially now, libraries keep up with the times and try to attract readers of different ages. They not only give out books for reading, but also hold many master classes on various topics, poetry evenings, and meetings with writers. Mini-performances are organized for children, reading books on roles, librarians introduce kids to children’s works. All meetings are held in the form of a game. Children fall in love with this fabulous atmosphere, created especially for them, and want to return there again and again.
Interesting Facts
- There is the largest library in the world, which is located in Washington DC and is called the Library of Congress. It contains more than 30 million books, archival documents, videos, photographs and manuscripts.
- The smallest libraries can be found in New York. They have a total of 40 books and space for only one reader. They were created so that people could take a break from the frantic pace of life.
- There are very unusual books in the library of Harvard University, the binding of which is made of human skin.
- The first floating library was launched in 1963. For her, a vessel 24 meters long was made.
- The most mysterious library is the library of Ivan the Terrible. There is an assumption that it is hidden in the dungeons of the Kremlin in Moscow. It has been searched for for centuries, but so far without success.
- Louis XIV instructed to collect for his son his own library, cleared of obscenities. It took the clerks 28 years to rewrite all the books, when his son had already had children himself.