History

The Polish Librarians Association is one of the most experienced organizations in the area of culture. It was created within the Commission of History and Knowledge of Libraries (Komisja Historii Książnic i Wiedzy Bibliotecznej), established in 1915, in Warsaw. In 1917, the Commission members formed the Polish Librarians Union (Związek Bibliotekarzy Polskich), the first organization unifying librarians in Poland. The year 1917 is considered as the beginning of the Association’s activity.

After 1918, in the newly independent Poland after 120 years of occupation, the Union made a great effort to promote readership and create new libraries. It struggled to rebuild Polish culture from the devastation caused by the long period of occupation and from civilization backwardness. It also nurtured the status of the library profession.

In 1927, the Polish Librarians Union, the Associations’ predecessor, joined the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and became the founding member of IFLA. Many professionals representing Polish librarianship worked for IFLA’s specialized agencies.

Following the outbreak of World War II (1939 -1945) during the Nazi occupation of Polish territories, the Union began to function as an underground organization protecting the library collections from damage and plunder.

After the War, in 1946, the organization was reborn under the name of Polish Librarians and Archivists Union (Związek Bibliotekarzy i Archiwistów Polskich). In 1953, it adopted its present name, Polish Librarians’ Association (Stowarzyszenie Bibliotekarzy Polskich). Despite the name changes, it has always been and still remains devoted to the librarianship and incessantly serves the needs of readership and librarianship. These ideas have always been supported by the organization and, nowadays, they are accomplished on a national and international level.