Andrić, Kundera, Kristi, Orwell, Laušević, Murakami, Pamuk, Hoseini... are just some of the great writers that book lovers in Podgorica read during the last year and borrowed from the "Radosav Ljumović" City Library.
The Podgorica library has more than 200.000 books, and employees say that reading is always in fashion in Podgorica. However, they say that it is always a pleasure to join someone new.
According to employees, the library is also visited by foreigners, less for reading, and more for "free internet and peace in the reading room".
The annual membership fee is five euros, and for those who live outside the city or for any reason do not have the opportunity to get to the center of Podgorica, "Radosav Ljumović" offers a solution - a bibliobus, that is, a library on wheels.
Dimić: The need for the book is not abating
Information librarian Aleksandra Dimić she told "Vijesti" that the book "never goes out of fashion" and that all generations "return to it at some point".
"I have been working as a librarian for 15 years and I noticed that, nevertheless, a lot of reading is done. There is a popular opinion that because of the Internet and new, fast technologies, little is read, although I do not agree with that. Whoever loves a book will always return to it and read it. We currently have 2.452 members in the adult division. The children's sector has 1.497 children who enjoy books. These are, after all, active members who like to read. Everyone has their own taste and choice among books. Philosophical works, as well as professional literature, are in high demand," said Dimić.
He emphasizes that there are no specific writers who are the most read, but that book lovers have different requirements.
"Older audiences mostly read classics like Dostoyevsky, Kundera, Tolstoy. The writer Jasenka Lalović is also popular among the older population. Young people read modern literature. The works of Paolo Koelj, Fredrik Bakman, Haruki Murakami, Haled Hosseini, Orhan Pamuk are the most sought after... I must mention that, recently, Žarko Laušević's books have become popular again, probably because of his death. At one time, Dejan Tiago-Stanković was also read," says Dimić, adding that books that have won multiple awards are also read.
According to her, more people should be members of the library.
"We always need more readers in the library. To those who would like to read again or, perhaps, to swim in the reading waters, I recommend the books of Gabriel García Márquez, Erich Maria Remarque, Orhan Pamuk. Among our writers, I would always return to Meša Selimović and Ivo Andrić, they are timeless classics that can be read in every part of life. Mysteries and thrillers are mostly read by a younger audience. Agatha Christie is especially popular. "She is traditionally loved and respected," Dimić pointed out.
Citizens enjoy classics and fiction
Former mother tongue teacher Stanka Vuković, which "Vijesti" found in the library before the holidays, she emphasized that she is always reading and is never without a book.
"Lately, I've been reading Slobodan Selenić. I also read our literature, but mostly classics are my priority. These days I have been re-reading Orwell's 1984 because it is more contemporary than ever. The modern world is living that scenario right now. And as a recommendation, I remind everyone to go back to the classics and read Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Andrić. Now, however, I focused on Selenić," Vuković said.
For a fellow citizen Snežana Jovanović, who has been a member of the library for a decade, "following literary novelties is a real pleasure".
"I read a lot of books, not only from the library, but also on kindle. I like fiction the most, and the classics are no longer in my sphere of interest. In terms of genre, I like dramas the most. Generally, fiction is my favorite. I have a lot of favorite writers. I would single out David Grossman. He is quite prolific, recommended and has very interesting books. For someone who is not in the habit of reading, I would not recommend something too serious. Let's say, I find Jasenka Lalović very interesting. It is not exactly my 'cup of tea', but it is easy to read and is close to our women. It talks about the women of our climate, and in a very beautiful, archaic language," said Jovanović.
Some of the fellow citizens, despite their good will, read less, mostly because of their obligations.
Vukašin Miketić he reads when he wants to "pass his time".
"I mostly read light literature to kill boredom. I have been a member of the Podgorica library for almost a year. The last book, which I tried to read, but I returned it, was 'My Father's Book' by Ethem Mandić. Unfortunately, I didn't get to read it. It was beautifully written, but my free time didn't help me," said Miketić.
Cvijanović: Soon digital membership cards
And associate in the Public Relations Service of the "Radosav Ljumović" library Dejan Cvijanovic he expects more citizens to return to the book.
He notes that in addition to the main library in the city center, there are also regional departments that have a certain number of titles.
"We currently have regional departments in Kruševac, Kuća Stojanović and Zeta. That fund ranges from five to eight thousand books. Attendance is not high, it is at the level of the public library. In general, we are not satisfied with the attendance of the library. The way of life is digitized. The media is on social networks, and that somewhat put the book in the background. The fast lifestyle affects people, and the book has become the last item in our individual's life. "There are very few people who take the time to read a book," explains Cvijanović.
According to him, the library plans gradual digitalization. Cvijanović emphasizes that membership cards will soon be in digital form.
One of the future plans, he told "Vijesti", is the formation of a special genre corner.
"It will, initially, be for epic and science fiction. We will change the reading corner as needed. The settings will be multi-month. We will put emphasis on publishing activities in the coming period. The project "Natural Atlas in Montenegro" is nearing its end, where we will co-finance it with another publishing house. We will continue with the project of our ruling families. We will also work on more monographs. "Women of Montenegro" is particularly popular and there is a great demand for that book," said Cvijanović.
Bibliobus support for schools on the outskirts of the city
Head of the Library Sector, Vesna Asanović, said that the bibliobus started operating on March 21, 2022.
"We partnered with schools on the outskirts of the city that have weaker school libraries or those located in villages. We cooperate with several libraries of elementary schools, such as Elementary School "Vojin Popović" in Drezga, Elementary School '18. Oktobar', elementary school 'Dragiša Ivanović' in Zlatica... We intend to make contact with primary schools, but primary school children are not the only target group", said Asanović.
According to her, their goal is to, like a library on wheels, "reach those who are not users and those who live in remote places".
"It was very important to estimate how long it would take us to get to each school, because we only go three days a week. By the way, after elementary school, our target is local communities, because in our bibliobus we also have books for the elderly population. There are a lot of people from the surrounding villages who don't have the opportunity to come to our library often, and that's why we would like to meet them as well. We also have another target group, pensioners, and we are now in negotiations with them," said Asanović.
A corner for comics lovers
Comic fans are not forgotten either. Cultural assistant Marko Ćaćić told "Vijesta" that the comic book, which functions as part of the library, is very popular.
"The comic book store is a place that brings together different generations - from the youngest to the older comic lovers who fell in love with this art back in the 1980s, a period when comics were very popular in our area. Our focus is to revive the spirit of past decades of comics culture, offering space to both younger people and those who witnessed the splendor of the eighties when comics were an integral part of cultural and everyday life," said Ćaćić.
He points out that Japanese comics - manga are especially popular among young people.
"Manga have become an indispensable part of the reading preferences of today's generations, because anime played a key role during their upbringing. For today's readers, manga are what classics like 'Zagora' and 'Alan Ford' used to be," says Ćaćić.
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