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On the ninetieth anniversary of Jaroslava Blažková’s birth, the paper reflects on her life, prose, journalism and literature for children and youth. Her work was characterised by an expressive style, irony and an effort to break free of conventions and stereotypes, through which she stood out from previous generations of authors. Her publishing debut – the short-story collection Nylon Moon (Nylonový mesiac, 1961) – expressed signs of feminism and emancipation which were rare at that time. In the 1960s, Jaroslava Blažková became one of the best-known Slovak authors but in the unfavourable social and political situation after 1968, she decided to emigrate to Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper was written to mark the 60th anniversary of a specialised workplace for retrospective bibliography at University Library in Bratislava. Authors reflect on its origins, which reach back to the library’s foundation in 1919, and highlight the contributions of senior workers in different stages of its development. During its existence, the office has not only undergone several name changes but has also had to respond to social and political changes. Retrospective bibliography only gradually emerged as a distinct activity and had a secondary priority until the 1960s. Besides their publishing activity, staff of the Office of Retrospective Bibliography organises lectures and exhibitions with international collaboration and interdisciplinary character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]