RARE AND VALUABLE BOOK COLLECTION OF BERDYANSK STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY AS A SOURCE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION

Abstract

This article examines the role and significance of the collection of rare and valuable books at the library of Berdiansk State Pedagogical University in the context of preserving the national cultural and intellectual heritage. A comprehensive historical and bibliographical analysis of the genesis, functioning and socio-cultural role of the collection has been carried out. The study is based on an examination of the specific process of establishing a separate section of the library and creating book collections that have formed unique collections of book artefacts. The authors of the publication highlight the specifics of the collection’s formation, which includes incunabula, lifetime editions by renowned figures in science, culture and education, as well as books with dedications and bookplates. The importance of preserving such collections in the context of contemporary challenges to Ukraine’s cultural heritage is emphasised. The significance of the collection in the education of students and the promotion of book culture in the Azov region is highlighted. The Rare and Valuable Books Collection of Berdiansk State Pedagogical University is not only a structural unit of the library but also a unique cultural centre. This study aims to draw attention to objects that form part of cultural heritage, but which, in the context of war, face unprecedented risks: the threat of physical destruction or improper storage of rare items, the risk of the illegal removal (looting) of cultural artefacts, and the inability of Ukrainian researchers to access primary sources. The publication emphasises the need to draw attention to and document the status of such collections, and to develop strategies for their remote monitoring and future return to the Ukrainian academic and cultural sphere