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Istros Publishing House of the “Carol I” Museum of Brăila has made available to readers interested in the field of book history an imposing “comprehensive volume” (848 pages), bearing the signature of historian and bibliologist Doru Bădără, on the occasion of reaching the age of 70. Renowned specialist in the field of old books and the history of Romanian printing, PhD in the Middle History of Romania, Mr. Doru Bădără has a rich publishing activity. The Foreword and the Word from the Publishing House belong to the friend and former schoolmate, the university professor PhD Ionel Cândea. In the volume edited by Niculae Ravici-Tătăranu, 80 articles and studies published between 1980-1919 are reproduced, mostly representing the texts of the papers presented at various scientific events which were initially printed in well-known scientific periodicals. In general, his subjects were inspired by the rich old book collection of the Central University Library in Bucharest, where Mr. Bădără has worked without interruption since 1972 and until now; since 2001, as head of the Bibliophilia Department. Manuscripts and Restoration. Created with his well-known scientific meticulousness, the articles and studies were grouped in ten thematic chapters: The History of the Romanian Book and Printing; Bibliophily; Manuscripts; Bibliology; Brăila Studies; Vary; Notes; Reviews; Prefaces; In Memoriam. The publisher’s care to print the volume in the best graphic conditions is noticeable. Due to the diversity of topics approached with a lot of professionalism, given that we do not have access to many periodicals, the anniversary volume is welcome in the Romanian publishing landscape and can be a good model to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing, books and libraries have been around since antiquity, but their millennia-long evolution has seen difficult periods of transition. In the Carpathian-Danubian-Pontic area, archaeological discoveries have uncovered evidence of writing dating back to the Palaeolithic. These include the first cave paintings in Romania, discovered in the Cuciulat Cave (Sălaj County), the Coliboaia Cave (Bihor County) and the Gaura Chindiei Cave (Caraș-Severin County). The typography appeared after long researches and multiple attempts, with the aim of eliminating all the shortcomings encountered by writing throughout its history, each stage in the history of writing entering our country shortly after it made its presence felt at European level. Subsequently, the interest in grouping and preserving these writings arose, and it was in this context that libraries appeared. In Romania, the history of libraries and books was connected both to the socio-cultural situation of the time and to the specific characteristics of this territory, characterized at the same time by a certain openness to Western culture. The fact that contemporary libraries preserve and supply a wide variety of documents indicates that the written text, in whatever form it has appeared throughout history, can endure through these millennia-old cultural institutions. By welcoming the public with unusual, rare collections of documents, these institutions are transforming their traditional role as repositories of information and becoming providers and creators of culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]