Book-Buying Spree

I keep a running list of Lithuanian-language books and articles that might be useful for my research.  I hear about them from people who know about my work or I see them cited in other articles and books.  My university has a fairly extensive collection of Lithuanian-language books, so often I have access to books that I want to check out.  If the book seems particularly interesting and is published in Lithuania, I try to buy a copy for myself.

Today I set out on a book-buying spree. I had a list of 10 books that I wanted to look at and potentially purchase.  Unfortunately I came home with only three.  I have been eagerly awaiting publication of a book on  Lithuanian rock music.  I was told by the publisher’s representative at the Vilnius Book Fair that the book would be available in May, but it’s not in bookstores yet.

Another book that I had hoped to find is a collection of interviews with Lithuanian soldiers who were in the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968-1969.  A friend in the US who studies Czechoslovakia sent me an article about such a book being translated into Czech.  However, the always helpful staff at Akademija bookstore in Vilnius had never heard of it.  When I re-read the article, it appears that the book is being produced in Czech only — unfortunately.

Finally, my greatest challenge is finding books published 5-10 years ago.  Lithuanian publishers tend to produced small print-runs. Once a book is a couple of years old, it disappears from bookstores. There are several books that I would like to get that were published in the 1990s, and even one in the Soviet period.  I think that the time has come for me to figure out how to find used booksellers — either in shops or online.  That could be an adventure!  I’ll let you know if I am successful.

My biggest challenge is that