The National Libraries of Lithuania and France signed a memorandum of cooperation: cultural and professional ties are being strengthened

On January 22, at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania (LNB), its Director General Aušrinė Žilinskienė and Gilles Pécout, President of one of the world’s largest libraries, the National Library of France (Bibliothèque nationale de France, BNF), signed a memorandum of cooperation. In it, both institutions agreed to strengthen professional exchanges, promote joint projects, and develop cultural ties between Lithuania and France. The Minister of Culture and the ambassadors of Lithuania and France attended the ceremony.

The importance of the memorandum

National libraries are strategic cultural and knowledge institutions in their countries: they preserve the memory of the state, ensure access to reliable information, strengthen society’s resistance to disinformation, and create space for science, creativity, and citizenship. Today, they face major challenges – rapid digitization, information overload management, cultural heritage protection, and attracting new audiences.

Cooperation with one of the world’s largest libraries provides an opportunity to tackle these challenges together, share experiences, and seek common solutions.

According to Aušrinė Žilinskienė, the memorandum marks a new and important stage in the international cooperation of the National Library of Lithuania: “The partnership with the National Library of France is a confirmation of our shared values and approach. I therefore believe that this agreement will lay a solid foundation for long-term projects, open up new opportunities to jointly preserve, research, and present cultural heritage in a modern way, and share best practices. This is another step in developing cultural ties between Lithuania and France, which were strengthened during the Lithuanian season in France in 2024.”

“We are delighted with the new partnership between the national libraries of France and Lithuania. With the anniversary of writer Oskaras Milašius approaching, it once again demonstrates the lively and strong ties between France and Lithuania, based on the idea of European unity”, emphasizes G. Pécout, who is also vice-president of the European National Libraries Conference.

A treasure trove of European culture with prominent traces of Lithuania

The French National Library holds more than 40 million documents. Its collections include a significant part of Lithuania’s cultural heritage: 17th-century maps of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, publications by Adam Mickiewicz, books smuggled by book smugglers, and interwar photographs.

The manuscripts and correspondence of Oskaras Milašius, a poet, diplomat, and the first representative of independent Lithuania in France, occupy a special place. He is one of the most prominent figures connecting Lithuania and France. Most of his work was written and published in France. The 150th anniversary of Oskaras Milašius’ birth in 2027 will be a unique opportunity to highlight his creative legacy.

Next year, Lithuania will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, so the cultural partnership with France will become one of the main highlights of Lithuania’s presentation on the international stage.

During his visit to Vilnius, G. Pécout also gave a presentation on the challenges facing libraries today and visited Vilnius University (VU), where he met with its rector, Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, and the general director of the VU library, Irena Kriviene, and visited the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights and the House of Stories, a branch of the Lithuanian National Museum.

Photographs by Gintarė Grigėnaitė.