Ciekawość książek w świetle Gabriela Naudé Advis pour dresser une bibliotheque

Abstract

[„Curiosity of books” in the light of Gabriel Naude’s Advis pour dresser une bibliotheque] Advis pour dresser une bibliotheque by Gabriel Naude possesses features that make this work especially attractive for a “book anthropologist”. The author searches for holistic principles that would enable the understanding of the timeless values in the work of a librarian. He points to the psychological contents that motivate a book-lover – and every reader. The advice, instructions and statements presented by Naude were neither easy nor simple for his contemporaries, but it is owing to Advis… that the profession of a librarian has become more of an art than a simple routine craft. According to Naude, while buying books, a librarian should present cleverness and sagacity, in order not to squander money away but purchase the right items. Librarians must be educated in many fields and must know the methods of storing and repairing books, but – eventually – their professional success is determined by the curiosity of the world, the intuition, the hobbyist passion and the love of books, which cannot be grasped by the fixed framework of the job. Thus a librarian should try – as early as possible – to understand the psychological aspects of the collecting passion, and recognize the secrets, whims and preferences of the readers.