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THE POLISH MUSEUM OF AMERICA<br />
PMA Library Centennial<br />
By: Iwona Bożek<br />
HEAD LIBRARIAN / SPECIAL COLLECTIONS<br />
This year, the Polish Museum of<br />
America Library officially celebrated<br />
its Centennial. Exactly a century ago,<br />
Rev. Jan Obyrtacz blessed the newly opened<br />
Library of the PRCUA. One hundred years<br />
later to the day, Rev. Andrzej Maslejak of<br />
Holy Trinity Parish, blessed the Library<br />
Reading Room and the newly renovated<br />
Rare Books Room, adjacent to the Library<br />
on the first floor.<br />
The April 18th 2015 jubilee celebrations<br />
commenced in the museum’s Sabina P.<br />
Logisz Great Hall, where over 200 guests<br />
were welcomed by Managing Director,<br />
Małgorzata Kot (immediate past Head<br />
Librarian since 1995); the Master of<br />
Ceremony, Jacek Niemczyk, led the formal<br />
program with great zest and enthusiasm.<br />
The first speaker, Michele Jaminski, PMA<br />
Vice-Chair and PRCUA Vice-President<br />
congratulated the Library on its 100th<br />
anniversary. Shortly after, the large crowd<br />
was entertained by a musical performance<br />
by the Grazyna Auguscik Group. The jazz<br />
music harkened everyone back to the start of<br />
the 20th century, which was appreciated by<br />
the guests – some who themselves dressed<br />
in styles resembling the early 1900s.<br />
The dialogue portion of the evening<br />
began with Paulina Kapuscinska, Consul<br />
General of the Republic of Poland,<br />
who, having toured the exhibition prior<br />
to program, spoke heartfelt words<br />
on the Library’s mission to preserve<br />
the historic publications on display.<br />
Paulina congratulated the Library for its<br />
achievements, wishing it another 100<br />
years. At her request, Halina Misterka,<br />
Head Archivist, led the audience in a<br />
slightly revised rendition of the traditional<br />
Polish song, “Sto lat” – this time wishing<br />
the Library “200 years”. PMA President,<br />
Richard Owsiany, spoke on the Library’s<br />
history, while Iwona Bozek, Head Librarian<br />
and curator of the centennial exhibition,<br />
discussed the selected books on display<br />
(the oldest printed in 1508), and their<br />
importance not only to Polonia, but also to<br />
Polish literature and historiography.<br />
The winners of the “Bookmark Contest”<br />
for children and youth were announced,<br />
and met with great applause. The selection<br />
of the nine winners within the three age<br />
groups was not an easy task for the contest<br />
judges, as over 150 participants submitted<br />
their artwork; all were displayed during<br />
the celebration. In addition to cash prizes,<br />
winners received books and complementary<br />
PMA Library memberships. The winning<br />
selections were immediately printed as<br />
official bookmarks commemorating the<br />
centennial.<br />
A beautiful cake, especially baked for this<br />
occasion and decorated with the Library<br />
Centennial logo, was presented and cut by<br />
Mrs. Kot. Wine and refreshments, prepared<br />
by the Friends of the PMA Library, were<br />
served as ragtime music played by Włodek<br />
Zuterek filled the Great Hall. Guests had<br />
the opportunity to examine the specially<br />
prepared exhibition of old and rare prints,<br />
commenting with the amazement on the<br />
printed editions that served so many before<br />
us – and hopefully, will be as useful to many<br />
future generations of readers.<br />
Today, the Library is an integral part of<br />
the PMA, but its history began much earlier<br />
than the Museum and Archives, which were<br />
founded in 1935, opening to the public in<br />
1937.<br />
According to Mieczyslaw Haiman,<br />
Librarian and first Curator, the idea to<br />
create the Library was born at the end of<br />
19th century. It was not until 1913, however,<br />
when the decision was made to build the<br />
Polish Roman Catholic Union of America’s<br />
national headquarters in Chicago, when<br />
plans to include the Library were added to<br />
the project. PRCUA President Stanislaw<br />
Adamkiewicz called upon the organizing<br />
committee to create a library. Within a<br />
year, the committee raised enough funds<br />
to purchase the first collection of 4,000<br />
books. From the beginning, the Library was<br />
established to serve the Polish American<br />
public.<br />
Since its foundation, the Library’s<br />
mission has been to disseminate Polish<br />
culture and language, and that mission is<br />
as valid and current today as it was at its<br />
inception.<br />
Over the past 100 years, the Library’s<br />
collections have grown significantly,<br />
currently consisting of more than 60,000<br />
cataloged titles. Such a collection is<br />
possible thanks to Polonia’s involvement,<br />
as approximately 70% of books come from<br />
donations. In 2012, the Library initiated the<br />
Rare Book Conservation Project, focusing on<br />
the oldest prints in the collection. Currently,<br />
40 volumes, dating from the 16th to 18th<br />
centuries, have been restored. The first<br />
Library collection was bound in distinctive<br />
black cloth covers, and is referred to as the<br />
“Black Collection.” There are also collections<br />
originating from well-known publishers in<br />
Polonia, including Dyniewicz and Paryski,<br />
as well as textbooks printed for Polish<br />
Saturday schools, adding to the uniqueness<br />
of the collections. The Music Collection of<br />
books, songbooks, sheet music, and sound<br />
recordings by Polish and Polish-American<br />
composers and performers reflects the rich<br />
musical traditions of Poles in the US. The<br />
circulating collection is the largest of its<br />
kind, consisting of books in Polish covering<br />
fiction, biographies, language studies,<br />
history, geography, art, theater, culture,<br />
customs, and folklore, by classical and<br />
contemporary authors. The collection also<br />
features English language titles on Polish<br />
subjects, or books written by Polish authors.<br />
The Library also has a Children’s Corner,<br />
with books selected especially for young<br />
readers. v<br />
26<br />
revia reviamagazine.com <strong>#11</strong>, 2015