GLEETT - University of Washington

I would be haq to provide further informaticn on my trip
(details on iriiv1dua1 libraries visited, ontact persons, etc.) to anyone
interested.
Harold H. Leict
Uhiverity of Iliiniz/Urbena
Report on Book Pcthauge Trip - Augellica S. ll
This trip, urdertaken with the specific prpoee of setting up book
exdianges between the University of Virginia Library aM major East
rcçman acaienic libraries, was sponsored by the Center for ssian
aM East brcpean Sbies aid Mdennan Library at the University of
Virginia.
In twenty-one days I travelled tbroogh five *intries (West
Germany, Czethoslovakia, Austria, Huogary aid Yugoslavia) aid visited
ten libraries aid eleven cities. My mede of travel inclided six trains
with nmi like Viniobcxia, Wierer Walzer, Belgrade aid Yugoslavia
Eapress, an all-day boat ride on the Mriatic Sea frcin Debrovnik to
Split aid two over-laM flights fron Belgrade to Debrovnik aid fron Split
to Zagreb. Ml traiji, wars on time aid only flight in Yugoslavia was
delayed by hour. Train reservatia were in first class, a fact
highly r for Eastern Lirope, althc4 taMe to meet only
other foreigners fros far-fluog places like Afghanistan or North 1rea.
Ostaes searthes on trains did not inclida luggage, hot seats were lifted
aid knoc1 about, dogs bnuht In to sniff out drugs in the corridors aid
one time I even saw a hm,an being crawl outside the train
ormçartinents to theck alaig the floor iroldings. Dering halts at border
train stati eath car was carefully diecked urderneath near the
wheels. I was told that the drug traffic frrs the Near aid Far East goes
through Balkan mtries aid In partionlar through Yugoslavia.
My first library visit in Prague on 3iz 17 took me to the Stathi
Ebihovna R (the Czedlovak State Library) in the 1asneritIiim, until
1777 the largest aid meat iiiportant Jesuit lamiastery of Central
Europe. At the time of the seailarization of all ramiasteries urder
ths "enlightened" Habsborg iamiarth Joset II, the University library of
Prague'. Charles University, fainied in the middle of the 14th century,
became the State library by inw.,atiog the rith holdings of
illuminated atamescripta, bibles aid other lnnla fron many
mmiagteries into it. This created one of the meat magnificent rare book
collections in the world, unravaged by to. revolutions of the 19th aid
20th centuries aid two world wars. I had a very diarming meeting with
Janaila Erivanova, Head of Lxuisitions (retired in December 1985),
Mrs. bickova, Head of the Exthaoge Dept., aid Mr. Molf Eholl, who
began managing the exctiaoges after Mrs. Prubickcva retired on July 1,
1985. Hers, at Statni Ehihovna, I encountered for the first tins the
repeated fact that the generation of librarians In East European
academic libraries aointed after World War II is ro stepping down
aid a audi ys.inger crowd of bright, university-trained people is taking
over. These young people, in contrast to the older generation of
librarians, teni to know Llith rather than German as a foreign lauguage.
After discosslzq our exithange program, thidi has been in effect for at
least two years ri ard whidi involves Czicslovak imprints In the
Humanities aid Social Sciences (both cerrent aid antiquarian) in exthange
for American university press blications prooured through the Yankee
52