Summer is the season of unexpected visits and guests. This summer at the Lithuanian Studies Research Department of National Library of Lithuania was no exception.
Kristina Lapienytė-Bareikienė, the Executive Vice-President of Lithuanian Research and Studies Center, Chicago, visited our Department on July 15. During the meeting with the head of the Department, Jolanta Budriūnienė, the guest discussed the future projects in the field of digital heritage, also small print identification, handling and storage issues.
A guest from London, Virgilijus Vaitkus, paid us a visit on July 28. Since 2005, Vaitkus has been living in London and working as a choir leader and organist at the Lithuanian St. Casimir parish in London. In the past, 1991-2005, he lived in Rome, where he met the Lozoraitis family. By request of Mrs. Daniela Lozoraitis, Vaitkus helped her sort the Lozoraitis family book collection, which today is part of the Lithuanian National Library collection. The Lozoraitis collection, consisting of more than 23,000 publications in Lithuanian, Polish, English, German, French and Russian, is being stored at the Lithuanian Studies Research Department Archive.
Guests from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitana Skripkaitė and Katažyna Voišnis together with the Department of Lithuanians Living Abroad Interim Director Lina Žukauskaitė visited our Department on August 2. The representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Library of Lithuania discussed the opportunities of closer interinstitutional cooperation and collaboration with Lithuanian Embassies. The guests were interested in the educational youth project “Discussions about (E)emigration-2,” which will be implemented by the Lithuanian Studies Research Department starting this September.
On August 8, a guest from the US, Kęstutis Nakas, visited us. The director, actor and writer met with the Department director, Budriūnienė, Deputy Dr. Giedrė Milerytė-Japertienė and senior researchers, Dr. Dalia Cidzikaitė and Dr. Lara Lempertienė.
On August 10, another guest from the US paid us a visit. Karilė Vaitkutė, the director of Genealogy Division at Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture and museum’s magazine Lithuanian Museum Review editor, discussed the possibilities of future cooperation, such as joint virtual exhibitions and book presentations.
The most recent guest to visit the Lithuanian Studies Research Department also came from America. Laura Zaveckaitė is a US-based organization Sla307 public relations representative and graphic designer. Founded in 2014 by Lithuanian Alliance of America, Sla370 is a non-profit art space that provides local and international contemporary artists a forum to explore critical issues within art and culture in New York City. Sla307 produces a number of contemporary art exhibitions throughout the year as well as a series of public programming which include lectures, performances, and film screenings.
During the meeting, which took place on August 28, Zaveckaitė described Sla307 activities and the current situation of the Lithuanian Alliance of America archives, also discussed the ways and forms of future cooperation with National Library of Lithuania. More about Sla307: http://www.sla307.com/
Lithuanian Studies Research Department National Library of Lithuania