Our story

Desk in the study

History of the Central Medical Library

The Central Medical Library in Warsaw was established on 8 June 1945. Its creator and first director was Professor Stanisław Konopka (1896-1982). In establishing the Library, he realised his pre-war concept of the central library of the state. It fulfilled all the functions of a modern library, which by definition collected the complete Polish literature in the field of medicine and related sciences, as well as more important items of world literature.

She made them available, disseminated and documented them in published form:

  • In the „Polish Medical Bibliography” (for the years 1945-1965)
  • In the annually published central catalogue entitled „Directory of Periodicals and Continuing Publications of the Central Library of Medicine, Libraries of Academies and Universities of Medicine and Scientific Institutes”

In addition, it published the „Bulletin of the Central Medical Library” and the „Przegląd Piśmiennictwa Lekarskiego Polskiego”

Activities and achievements of Prof. Stanisław Konopka

In his twenty-five years as director of the Main Medical Library, Prof. Stanisław Konopka created a modern organisational framework in which library and information activities were integrated. In particular:

  • Acquired and expanded the GBL headquarters
  • Established GBL Field Branches
  • He created from scratch the richest medical book collection in Poland and one of the ten largest in the world
  • He created the information service and its basic tool, the „Polish Medical Bibliography”
  • Developed the „Dictionary of Headwords in Medicine and Related Sciences” for the subject development of both bibliographies and library catalogues for the entire network of medical libraries

On retiring, Professor Stanisław Konopka left behind a well-organised and well-equipped library of high national and international standing, with trained staff and a rich collection.

Development of scientific information and new technologies

The years of the second director, Prof. Feliks Widy-Wirski, were a period of using information technology in library-information and reprographic activities and applying it in practice. Prof. F. Widy-Wirski equipped the GBL with new library-information technologies and the only on-line connection in Poland with the American information system MEDLARS-MEDLINE via Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. It was then that the Central Library of Medicine began to fulfil the tasks of a centre for scientific medical information.

Expansion of institutions and special collections

The directions set out by the predecessors of the GBL were implemented by its third director, Professor Janusz Kapuścik. Professor Kapuścik led to the Library being named after its founder, Stanisław Konopka. He expanded the network of field branches from seven to sixteen. He acquired the pavilion of the former Ujazdowski Castle Hospital, which he adapted for Library purposes, restoring a historic building to the capital on its Royal Route. He expanded the Special Collections Department.

Directors of the General Medical Library

Show transcript / audio description

Useful links

GBL main catalogue
A-Z catalogue of journals and publications
GBL databases