20 July 2022

The Centre for Publishing of Science and Encyclopaedias to be merged with the National Martynas Mažvydas Library

The Science and Encyclopaedia Publishing Centre under the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport will be reorganised and merged with the National Martynas Mažvydas Library of Lithuania. This proposal was approved today by the Government. All reorganisation procedures are scheduled for completion by 1 January 2023.

“The merger of the Science and Encyclopaedia Publishing Centre with the largest Lithuanian library, in line with the objectives of its activities, will allow for more efficient use of the Centre's accumulated expertise and the ability to further development  encyclopaedic activities. Today, the importance of quality encyclopaedic information is particularly relevant for a society faced with the abundance of information available on the Internet and the growing emergence of misinformation,” said Jurgita Šiugždinienė, Minister of Education, Science and Sport.

“The Lithuanian National Martynas Mažvydas Library performs many important functions, representing an exceptionally wide range of activities. The integration of the Science and Encyclopaedia Publishing Centre will undoubtedly contribute to a greater dissemination of encyclopaedias at the national level, and  bring together a wider circle of users, and the prompt use of the most relevant information,” says the Director of the National Library of Lithuania, Prof. Dr. Renaldas Gudauskas.

The Centre for Publishing of Science and Encyclopaedias is the only institution of its kind in Lithuania with a team of qualified professionals capable of preparing and publishing original universal (general and regional) and special (branch) encyclopaedias, and with extensive experience in this field. The Centre currently employs 37 members of staff.

The aim of this reorganisation is to reduce the number of budgetary institutions, to optimise their activities, to rationalise the placement of materials, financial and human resources, more efficient use of the expertise and skills of the Centre for the Publication of Science and Encyclopaedias in developing encyclopaedic activities based on data from various sources (archives, museums, governmental and public institutions and organisations, Internet sources) and on close cooperation with various institutions.