The Library of Lyuben Karavelov

Abstract

From antiquity to the present day, books and libraries have always been an indicator of the level of science and culture. They have strengthened research thought, enlightened it with new ideas, helped nations to build and develop their distinctive material and spiritual culture. The role of books and libraries in the lives of great scientists, writers and public figures is particularly important. They were the first to feel the need for libraries as a base for their activities in their chosen fields. That is why in the history of civilization, before public libraries came into being, private libraries of scientists, philosophers, writers and poets, political figures and public figures appeared.
The role and importance of private libraries has by no means diminished after the emergence of public libraries. Although the representatives of science and the arts can benefit from their much richer and better arranged holdings, as in the past they prefer their own library, which provides them with peaceful working conditions and home comforts. Guided by their scholarly interests, tastes, and views, they have been collecting a library throughout their working lives. Thus, the quantity and content of the usually decades-long private libraries, we can judge the ideas, views, and problems to which the library owner devoted long periods of his life.