The scientific conference Fons largus. The Library: a Source of Inspiration - Biblioteka, źródło inspiracji, a joint project of the University of Warsaw Library (BUW) and the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IS PAN), will take place in Warsaw in the third week of May 2012. The general aim of the conference is to provide a forum for scholars to review and discuss the function and mission of academic and research libraries, with particular reference to their inspirational role for the humanities, their subject and methodological orientation, as well as the libraries’ impact on the artistic creativity and theory of fine arts and architecture. The significance of the library as a source of inspiration will be considered from both historical and contemporary perspectives and consideration will also be given to developments and solutions for the future.
The Library, regardless of how we understand this term - whether as an institution where professional librarians gather together to improve their art and skills, or as a carefully developed and shaped collection of valuable prints, drawings and manuscripts in which achievements of human thought and spirit are retained, consolidated and made accessible, or as a place dedicated to such a collection enclosed within architectural frameworks and filled with sophisticatedly arranged shelves - has always played a crucial role in the growth and evolution of culture. Its permanent impact on human activity and tides of inspiration is usually taken for granted and has thus attracted little special attention or research. However, without libraries, there would be neither knowledge nor science, neither codification of cultural achievements nor systematisation of human learning. It would be hard to envisage any significant manifestation of artistic creativity or clarification of fine arts and architecture principles in a world impoverished by a lack of access to libraries and thus to the exhilarating ideas inspired by wide reading. This important function of a library’s collections was vital not only in the past but is still highly relevant today; it should be reviewed and analysed with the aim of enhancing and enriching its contribution to academic pursuits and research.
A wide circle of individuals representing various academic centres and disciplines of arts and humanities, eminent in their several fields, could usefully collaborate in reviewing and developing various aspects of the function and mission of academic and research libraries. They could consider factors such as: the significance of the professional competence of librarians; the wealth and adequacy of library collections which form a sphere of experience for the humanities; the design of library collections, services and functions which has, does and will best serve the development and growth in the arts and humanities.
Several questions of particular interest arise:
- If or in which way might libraries stimulate and give direction to the development of particular branches of the humanities and interpretative trends?
- Does the concept - derived from interpretations of the ancient Alexandrian Library and Mouseion - of the library as a centre of studies still have relevance today or is it an anachronism?
- What was the role of historic libraries collected by writers, philosophers, historians and art historians and what is their relevance to today’s research? What scientific results can we achieve thanks to their reconstruction or by using current advanced techniques and methods of copying and retaining?
- What was the significance and influence of library collections on the spiritual shaping, on the forming of personality and on the development of creativity in scholars and artists? What has been the impact of libraries and available writings on artistic creativity and how should we recognise, examine and describe it?
- What has been and what is now the relevance of the architectural framework and the design of library space? Should they closely reflect the specific nature and characteristics of the collections they house or can they differ in character and design?
Such questions led the organisers to devise the following topic sessions (pdf)):
- Animi voluptas. The Scholar’s Library – Biblioteka uczonego
- Ingeniorum consecratio. The Artist’s Library – Biblioteka artysty
- Locum et armarium. The Library Space – Przestrzeń biblioteczna
- Arbor sapientiae. The Library: a Centre of Studies – Biblioteka, centrum studiów
- Gigantium humeris. Historic Libraries: Relevance to Today – Biblioteka dawna dziś
- Thesaurus desiderabilis. The Arts and Humanities Library of Tomorrow – Humanistyczna biblioteka naukowa jutra
The session “Gigantium humeris. Historic Libraries: Relevance to Today” will be dedicated to the memory of late Professor Philipp Fehl from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Fehl was a director of the Cicognara Library Program. Count Leopoldo F. Cicognara’s Library (Fondo Cicognara) is a splendid source of the history and theory of fine arts and architecture principles and has since 1824 been a part of the Vatican Library. Thanks to the generosity of the Professor, a copy of the microform edition has enriched the Special Collections of the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences and made this valuable resource accessible to Polish scholars.
The Academic Committee and the Organising Committee invite to participate in the Fons largus conference. The sessions and discussions will be conducted in two languages: Polish and English, with simultaneous translation. Scholars who were interested in attending and would like to contribute to any of the subjects of the Fons largus conference were kindly requested to submit the title of their paper and abstract before Monday 6th February 2012.
Further information will be posted on the Fons largus conference website which was has been already launched at the address: http://fonslargus.buw.uw.edu.pl/en/.
The Academic Committee:
Prof. Włodzimierz Lengauer, University of Warsaw, Vice-Rector
Prof. Stanisław Mossakowski, Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Full Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Ewa Kobierska-Maciuszko, MA, University of Warsaw Library, Head Librarian
Prof. Elżbieta Witkowska-Zaremba, Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Director, Corresponding Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Prof. Elżbieta Barbara Zybert, University of Warsaw, Faculty of History, Dean
Prof. Piotr Skubiszewski, Professor Emeritus, University of Warsaw, Faculty of History, Corresponding Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Prof. Wojciech Tygielski, University of Warsaw, Faculty of History
Prof. Andrzej Kajetan Wróblewski, Professor Emeritus, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Physics, Full Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Prof. Zbigniew Bania, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Faculty of History and Social Sciences
Prof. Marianna Tax Choldin, Mortenson Distinguished Professor Emerita (former Director and the first Mortenson Distinguished Professor of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Chicago, Illinois
Prof. Jane Block, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University Library, Ricker Library of Art and Architecture, Head Librarian
The Organising Committee:
Wanda M. Rudzińska, MA, University of Warsaw Library, Deputy Librarian for Research and Special Collections
Tadeusz Zadrożny, PhD, Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Special Collections