Lithuanian Public Libraries

The Library was established in 1939. The writer Jonas Marcinkevičius was the first head of the Library. After the war has started in 1941, the book collection was destroyed; the Library was closed and re-established only in 1945-1946.

In 1992, the Library moved to the present premises: spacious Periodicals reading-room, Lending Department, cosy Music & Arts reading-room and Information & Bibliography Department was established. After a year, the Children’s Literature Department has also moved to the new premises. The Library took part in the calls for applications of the Open Society Fund Lithuania. With implementation of the project The Vizija Youth Centre in 1999, the Music & Arts reading-room was modernized. After the grant for the project Let’s Open the Door to the Future of Children was received in 2001, the Children’s Literature Department was renovated, music players and TV set was acquired and the toy collection was refreshed with new toys. Year 2001 witnessed the start of installation of new technologies, when Library started providing the Internet services.
With implementation of the project that was initiated by the Window to the Future alliance and the Ministry of Interior, a public Internet centre was established in the Children’s Literature Department where the use of the Internet is free of charge.
The Library collection comprises 109,645 copies of documents. Here several valuable collections are stored: collection of over 100 books with autographs of the authors; collections of Antanas Čekaitis, Zigmas Pavilionis, and Viktoras Junkaitis, fellow-countrymen, poets and exiles; and collection of publications of literary people of Jonava region.