History

"Bibliotekarz Podlaski" was established in 2000 on the initiative of Jan Leończuk, then director of the Łukasz Górnicki Podlaskie Library.


Jan Leończuk became the journal’s first editor-in-chief, while Professor Anna Sitarska took on the role of scientific editor. The periodical was created to fill a significant gap: at that time, there was no publication in the Podlaskie Voivodeship dedicated to the broadly understood field of book studies, nor one that addressed the practical challenges faced by libraries in the region, the state of readership, and perspectives for new solutions.

To meet the demand for such a journal, specialists, researchers, librarians, and cultural figures from across the region—as well as from academic centers throughout Poland—were invited to contribute. In addition to topics related to library affairs, „Bibliotekarz Podlaski” also featured articles by specialists from various humanities disciplines, including history, literary studies, and social sciences. In this format, the journal was published regularly for a decade, appearing twice a year.

In 2012, the Łukasz Górnicki Podlaskie Library obtained the status of a research library. This opened up entirely new possibilities, such as the opportunity to establish a nationwide, peer-reviewed academic journal with an international scientific council and a stable group of contributors.

In 2013, the position of editor-in-chief was assumed by Professor Jarosław Ławski, PhD, DSc, head of the Department of Philological Research "East – West" at the University of Białystok. At that time, „Bibliotekarz Podlaski” was transformed into a journal meeting the criteria of a scored academic periodical. An international Scientific Council was formed, and specialists and scholars from Poland and abroad were invited to contribute to the journal, with some of them joining the list of reviewers. The chair of the Scientific Council became Professor Anna Sitarska, a specialist in information science and library studies.

Since May 4, 2014, the position of editor-in-chief has been held by Dr. Łukasz Zabielski, a researcher at the Łukasz Górnicki Podlaskie Library. The journal's quality and academic standards are ensured by its editors, international Scientific Council, and reviewers from various university centers in Poland and Europe. Since 2017, „Bibliotekarz Podlaski” has been published jointly by the Łukasz Górnicki Podlaskie Library and the University of Białystok.