Jelena Glušac
Istorijski institut u Beogradu
jelena984@hotmail.com

doi: 10.19090/cit.2024.44.56-66
No. 44 (May 2024), p. 56-66

A Contribution to Knowing the Work of the Community Library and Reading Room
in Osečina from 1924 to 1940 – on the Occasion of the Centennial Jubilee

Summary

The Community library and reading room in Osečina was founded in 1924 and operated for the next two years. It was restored thanks to the effort of the teacher Budimir Nikolić at the end of 1933, and the official approval of the Ministry of Education followed on May 16, 1934. Its work until 1940 can be traced based on preserved correspondence with the Ministry of Education, which, according to the rules, was conducted through the district office of Podgorina and Drina Banovina administration. Most community libraries and reading rooms in Serbia were established in the period between the two world wars. This corpus of sources contains annual reports on work, finances, various petitions, and other correspondence. The premise of the library was under lease, and it was the biggest annual expense. The highest incomes were from tickets for performances and concerts, which were performed by the theater and tambourine sections. The problems it encountered were common to other community libraries and reading rooms in the district, in Oglađenovac, Gornja Bukovica and Miličinica. They referred to the lack of material resources for the construction of their buildings, for the purchase of books and the costs of maintaining the premises. Often, members were unable to regularly pay membership fees, which were a significant part of the budget. Payment of membership fees and voluntary contributions depended on the general situation, which was not on enviable level in Podgorina in this period. Despite the crisis, during the 1930ies, residents of Osečina managed to exploit their material resources and work to build several institutions important for the community. One of them was the Community Library and reading room.
The German 342nd Infantry Division burned down and destroyed the Community Library and reading room in Osečina in October 1941. It was renovated in 1953 under the name Public Library and reading room „Petar Vragolić”.

Keywords:

Community library and reading room, Osečina, „1924-1940“, Ministry of Education, Department for Public Enlightenment, teacher Budimir Nikolić, Gornja Bukovica, Oglađenovac, Miličinica

Submitted: 19th February 2024
Correction to the manuscript: 8th March 2024
Accepted for publication: 12th March 2024

A Contribution to Knowing the Work of the Community Library and Reading Room in Osečina from 1924 to 1940 – on the Occasion of the Centennial Jubilee by Jelena Glušac is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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