The National Library of Latvia permanent exhibition Book in Latvia is a story of the history of Latvian book in a global context, inspired by the new image of the library.
At the centre of the exhibition is the book – both as a material object and as a social and spiritual phenomenon that has changed and is still changing society at large as well as individual lives and minds.
The exhibition consists of four parts, which reveal the book from different angles. The section dedicated to the history of book shows those books printed in Latvia and in the Latvian language, which have had a crucial impact on our nation's culture and identity.
The micro exhibit "Senses" explores the bodily experience of a reader in his or her encounter with a book. Through different interactive activities one can feel, hear, see and even taste the book. "Power" looks at the book as an instrument of just that – both making the visitor an object of political manipulation and recalling the feelings readers must have had at least once, yielding to the power of a fascinating text. The section "Spirit" not only explores the book as a medium of religious and secular spirituality but, with the help of an installation of a "live" book, transports one into the world of fantasy.
