Lithuanian Public Libraries

The Library was established on 1 October 1950, as Šiauliai Regional Library. After the regions were abolished in 1953, the Library was reorganized into Šiauliai Public Library.

In 1977, a special three-storey house was constructed for the Library. In 1989, the Library was granted the name of Povilas Višinskis, an enlightened person, public and cultural figure. After forming the counties in Lithuania in 1995, the Library was granted the name Šiauliai County Povilas Višinskis public library. Since 1996, the Library is a depositary library of the World Bank.
The Library has the following valuable collections: a personal collection of Šiauliai architect and poet Vytautas Jonas Nistelis with a number of publications of interwar Lithuania as well as a collection of 6,000 copies of old and rare prints published during the interwar period in Lithuania is stored.

The oldest book stored at the Library is Liuteronai prieš romėnų bažnyčią (Lutherans against the Romanian Church) published in French in 1685. The oldest Lithuanian book stored is Naujas istatimas Jezaus Christaus [The New Law of Jesus Christ] published in 1816; abundant collection of periodicals of the interwar Lithuania and a comprehensive collection of publications published in Šiauliai is stored.

In 2001, the Ex Libris Museum was established in the Library. The collection of the Ex Libris Museum is based on the bookplates donated by the painter G.Bagdonavičius. The Library hosts the American reading-room funded by the US Embassy.