Nerva Hodoș, one of the best bibliographers in Romania, considered that “there is no cultured man, in the true sense of the word, who does not realize the significance of public libraries, not only for scientific progress in general, but also for the moral and intellectual education of a nation. And public libraries should not only be understood as academic libraries, namely, those that are attached to universities or scientific societies, but all libraries starting from the ones mentioned and up to modest reading rooms and book depots.”
Libraries are part of the heritage of a city and actively contribute to the promotion of cultural life. The neighborhood libraries in Bucharest are joining in this direction, and through the events they organize they have gained a special place in the hearts of those who are passionate about books.
We still have to explore the libraries in a single district in Bucharest, and today we will discover the offers that these institutions make available to those who cross the threshold.
In District 5 of the Capital, five branches of the Metropolitan Library of Bucharest operate.
“Ion Luca Caragiale” Library
The first one is “Ion Luca Caragiale” Library, which we find on the Gura Lotrului Street, number 9. With an area of 160 square meters, this unit has a loan room with free access to bookshelf for adults, a multifunctional reading room with a capacity of 24 seats and nine computers for the public.
The library “Ion Luca Caragiale” has a collection of over 17,000 documents from many fields.
“George Călinescu” Library
In District 5, the “George Călinescu” Library also operates. It is the smallest institution of this type in the network of the Metropolitan Library of Bucharest, occupying an area of only 40 square meters. The institution operates at the same address as the “Ion Luca Caragiale” Library, but has a different status. The unit includes a multifunctional reading room with free access to bookshelf, fitted with the equipment necessary to carry out cultural, educational and social programs for children. It also has a collection of over 5,000 library documents, including movies, music and games for children.
“Vasile Alecsandri” Library
The library “Vasile Alecsandri” is located on Calea Ferentari, at number 72. The institution includes a toy library where interested persons can find collections of books in Romanian and games for children, organized by different age groups. It also has a multifunctional loan room with free access to bookshelf for children and parents, fitted with the necessary equipment for cultural programs. The collection of this branch is made up of a rich collection of documents, from many fields.
„Gheorghe Șincai” Library
On the Prelungirea Ferentari Street, at number 5, there is the “Gheorghe Șincai” Library. In a space of 65 square meters, is organized a loan room with free access to bookshelf, fitted with the necessary equipment for the development of cultural, educational and social programs.
Also, there are three computers for public and a collection of over 6,000 books, dictionaries, albums, encyclopedias, CDs, DVDs. The collection also includes an important book collection in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Chinese.
Deposit of the Heritage Collection “Nicolaus Olahus”
In addition to the four libraries presented above, District 5 of the Capital also houses the Deposit of the Heritage Collection “Nicolaus Olahus”. The institution is located on Gura Lotrului Street, at number 9.
This deposit includes the special and heritage collections of the Bucharest Metropolitan Library: collections of manuscripts, old and rare books, prints, engravings and drawings, archive documents, correspondence, photographs, cartographic materials, old Romanian periodicals, old music prints, and illustrated postcards.
Those who wish to consult these documents can do this only at the reading room, based on a written request submitted in advance.
Author: Ștefania Enache
Photo: Corina Gheorghe
