The Library of the University of Silesia received funding from the Ministry of Education and Science for the implementation of the project entitled “Protection and security of the historic book collection of Zofia and Zygmunt Żuławski from the collections of the Library of the University of Silesia”. The agreement regarding initiative was signed on 13 December 2021. The project, which will be implemented until 2023, received funding in the amount of PLN 174 004 under the “Social Responsibility of Science” programme.
The aim of the project is to comprehensively protect the historic book collection endangered with acid degradation. The collection of Zofia and Zygmunt Żuławski has nearly 1,700 volumes, while the project covers almost 1,500 volumes from 1801–1950.
The collection of books includes mainly Polish literature, works important to Polish literature, history and culture, including the first editions of, among others, works by Adam Mickiewicz, as well as bibliophile editions. The value of the book collection is enhanced by the 19th century bindings with gilding on the spines and binding from the first half of the 20th century (some of them were created in the highly regarded Krakow studio of Robert Jahoda). The collection is a beautiful example of a private collection and a remarkable testimony to the era in which its owners lived.
The concept of the project was conceived in such a way as to combine the experience and potential of library employees, cooperating with experts in the field of securing collections and conservation, with activities carried out outside the library in specialized laboratories.
The key tasks of the project include: analysis of the state of preservation of works, de-acidification of books and renovation and conservation works. An important result will be the development of a strategy for a multi-annual plan for the conservation of the collection.
The implementation of the project will enable a comprehensive approach to the collection, taking into account the entire spectrum of activities aimed at optimal securing of books for future generations of users and researchers.
The historic book collection of Zofia and Zygmunt Żuławski | photo by Marzena Smyłła