Public Libraries in Modern and Contemporary Romania: Legacy of French Patterns and Soviet Influences, 1830-1990

The first public libraries were established in Romania in the second half of the nineteenth century, when the political, economic, social, and cultural development of the three Romanian Principalities—Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania—fostered the creation of the first universities, cultural associations, and scientific societies. These libraries emerged in conjunction with public schools or universities which opened their collections to the general public. Many of them are the result of generous gifts of scholars, teachers, and patriots whose goal was to contribute to the cultural emancipation of the Romanian nation. Cultural associations were also founders of public libraries in urban and rural areas before the country's government assumed the responsibility of funding the establishment of a national public library network.

The study integrates the evolution of book and periodical collections and public libraries within the social, economic, and political context of commonly acknowledged periods in Romania's history, along with the influence of prominent Romanian personalities on the establishment of libraries and promoting library legislation. In addition, the study highlights distinguished Romanian librarians and their contribution to the development of libraries and library education in Romania. Many of those who were instrumental in promoting libraries as cultural institutions in Romania took inspiration from Western European countries, primarily France, where most of them went to study during the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century.

The entire library legacy of the pre-World War II period was disregarded by the communist regime which came to power in 1945. The communist period consisted of confiscations of private collections, implementation of severe censorship on library collections, and ultimately turning libraries of all kinds into propaganda tools to support the indoctrination of the population with Marxist-Leninist theories. The study investigates the emergence of Soviet-type public and trade union libraries with collections that abounded in ideological literature, staffed with librarians which were mostly political appointees, and providing services that did not take into account the patrons' informational and educational needs.

A few major Romanian public libraries are featured within the social and political context which led to their establishment. The study is based on exhaustive review of the literature of the period published in key library journals, on primary sources from Romanian archives, and on interviews with knowledgeable librarians. An entire chapter is devoted to the National Library of Romania, former Central State Library, as the premier public library of the country with special attributes at national level. The demise of communism in 1989 created favorable premises for the restoration and reconsideration of the public library system in Romania, but also revealed the intricacies of implementing managed change in order to enable them to catch up with their counterpart in technologically advanced countries.