About library

Contacts

Director: Dalia Vladislava Užpelkienė
Address: Tilzes 10, LT - 99172 Silute
Telephone: +370 441 78212
Fax: +370 441 76961 
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ;  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web-site: http://www.silutevb.lt/

About the library

        The State Public Library of Šilutė County was established on 1 August 1945. In 1950, the Library became a district library. In 1952, the first portable libraries were established in the furniture factory, hospital, peat company, and, later, in the Department of Interior. In 1974, the District Library moved to the newly reconstructed and enlarged premises. The year 1976 witnessed the library centralization. The District library became a central library with 46 village, 2 city and 2 town branches.
The Book Museum was open in the Library in 1990. In 1995, the Central Library was renamed a pubic library. In 1995, the Library was granted the name of Fridrichas Bajoraitis, the poet and founder of the first portable bookshop in Lithuania Minor. In 1996, Prūsija Publishing-House was established and Šilutė International Postcard Contest was organised. In 2001, the Internet and Music reading-rooms were opened.
At present, the library system consists of a public library, 1 city and 22 village branches.
As of 2004, the stock of Fridrichas Bajoraitis Public Library consisted of the books, serials, audio and audiovisual documents, CDs and cartographic documents. Iconography forms a separate part of the stock. The Library has over 800 exhibits. The major part of the stock consists of original fine art works, including 455 bookplates. The painter J. Paukštienė living in Chicago has granted 66 pastels to the Museum. The painter M. Maksutova from Riga has granted 18 works of graphic art. The painter V. Švabienė (USA) has sent a collection of 24 sketches of paintings and J. Sodaitis (USA) transferred a collection of his 73 bookplates to the Museum. The stock of original fine art works include the bookplates of the international contests, one of which was organised by F. Bajoraitis Public Library. In 1993, 102 painters from 7 countries participated in the 125th Anniversary of Vydūnas International Ex Libris Contest. All bookplates were donated to the Book Museum.

In 1991, the 480th Anniversary of Šilutė International Ex Libris Contest – Exhibition was organised that attracted 33 painters from Lithuania and abroad. Over 100 bookplates were presented for the contest. In 1996, 71 painters from 9 countries participated in Šilutė International Postcard Contest. The jury of the contests assessed 266 works performed in different classical graphic techniques. Part of the works was transferred to the Library and is stored in the Book Museum at present.