We would like to inform you about the end of the program for saving musical items from the Jesuit monastery in Święta Lipka as part of the Social Responsibility of Science program - Support for research libraries, reg. No. SONB/SP/514994/2021 entitled "Conservation of an endangered part of a unique collection of Polish music in order to preserve and make it available."

The program was a continuation of the previous program implemented under the Social Responsibility of Science program, project reg. No. SONB/SN/468945/2020 entitled " Unique collections of Polish music in the Collegium Bobolanum Library - maintenance and access ." As a result of the first project, it turned out that some of the collections were so degraded that it was impossible to scan them without destroying or significantly damaging the document. Therefore, a second project was created to first subject the endangered part of the collection to professional conservation and also make it available in the digital library of the National Library https://polona.pl/ 

After opening a professional conservation workshop, all endangered objects were subject to thorough conservation. A total of 94 musical items were saved and good practice guidelines for storing and handling this type of collections were prepared. The results of conservation along with conservation recommendations are included in the document entitled: Report on the conservation and restoration of manuscripts of musical notations from the Sanctuary in Święta Lipka from the collections of the Bobolanum Library at the College of Jesuit Fathers in Warsaw, prepared by both conservators: Magdalena Szymańska and Monika Dzik, 2023. A presentation has also been prepared that shows the entire process in an accessible way maintenance: PRESENTATION .

The secured, preserved and scanned materials were transferred to the National Library and are now available on the Polona digital library website: Conservation and access to the endangered part of the music collection from St.… | Polona

Scanned musical prints and manuscripts from the Świętolipki collection located in the Bobolanum Library are also cataloged in the International Catalog of Musical Sources RISM ( Répertoire International des Sources Musicales ), thanks to which this unique musical heritage is now available all over the world!