Society and culture: Scientific conference “Voltaire readings” to be held in Saint-Petersburg

November 8-9, 2017 the Russian National Library (Saint-Petersburg) hosts the International Scientific Conference "Voltaire Readings". The theme of the 2017 conference is "The Ways of the Enlightenment: Personal Libraries of the XVIII and Early XIX Centuries". And their owners".

The European Enlightenment cannot be imagined without books and libraries. A man of the Enlightenment cannot be imagined without his book collection.

A personal library is an Enlightenment tool, and also a reflection of the owner's tastes and preferences, his intellectual requests, and a reflection of fashion trends in everything from the composition of books to their appearance. Each library is a mirror of its owner, together personal book collections of the XVIII - early XIX centuries - a reflection of the Enlightenment.

The following topics will be discussed at the conference:

- reflection of the circle of reading and reading practices of the man of the Enlightenment;

- universality of the library in the era of the Enlightenment;

- European links and influences;          

- The Imperial Public Library as an Enlightenment library.