Tomasz Makowski (born 1970) – Polish librarian and historian, since 2007 Director General of the National Library of Poland, head of the National Council of Libraries and the National Library Resources Committee at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and since 2024 Vice-Chair of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (CDNL).[1][2][3]
Makowski has worked in the National Library since 1994.[1][2] Prior to being appointed Director General in 2007, he was Deputy Director General and Director for Research, as well as Head of Special Collections at the Library.[1][2]
He specializes in the history of libraries and manuscript studies[1]. In 2001 he completed his doctorate in history, specializing in modern Polish history, at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw.[1] His doctoral thesis, was entitled Jan Zamoyski’s Crown Chancellor and Commander-in-chief Library (Polish: Biblioteka Jana Zamoyskiego kanclerza i hetmana wielkiego koronnego (1542-1605).[1]
Makowski is a member or board member of a large number of organizations and institutions in Poland and abroad:[1][2]
Council of the National Institute of Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad POLONIKA
On October 3, 2024 in Brisbane (Australia) he was elected Vice-Chair of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (CDNL) by directors of national libraries from around the world.[1]
Makowski has been a member of the jury of the Kazimierz Moczarski Historical Award (since 2013) and the panel for the Jerzy Giedroyc “Rzeczpospolita” Award (since 2019).[1] He also served as Deputy Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Year of Zbigniew Herbert celebrations.[1] In 2005 he curated the first monographic exhibition about the Zamoyski Library[1]. He was part of the Culture Pact Team at the Polish Prime Minister's Office (2011–2016).[1]
Since 2008 he has been a member of the Polish-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commission and since 2014 a member of both the Polish-Lithuanian Expert Group for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage and the Polish-Belarusian Consultative Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage.[1] In 2009 he received the “In Recognition” medal of the Association of Polish Librarians and in 2008 the Gold Award of the Association of Polish Booksellers.[1] In 1999 he was awarded a scholarship by the Lanckoroński Foundation.[1] In 2009 he received the “In Recognition” medal of the Association of Polish Librarians and in 2008 the Gold Award of the Association of Polish Booksellers.[1]
Makowski is Editor-in-Chief of the journals “Polish Libraries” and “Rocznik Biblioteki Narodowej”.[1] Since 2017 he has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the journal “Library Review” and since 2013 on the Editorial Board of “Lietuvos mokslu akademijos Vrublevskiu biblioteka”.[1] From 2014 to 2018 he sat on the Scientific Council of the “Almanach Warszawy”.[1]
Poselstwo Jerzego Ossolińskiego do Rzymu w roku 1633 (1996)
Autografy świętych w zbiorach Biblioteki Narodowej: in odore sanctitatis scriptum (1998)
Biblioteka Ordynacji Zamojskiej: od Jana do Jana. Przewodnik po wystawie (2005)
Rękopisy w zbiorach kościelnych (2014, with Patryk Sapała)
The Palace of the Commonwealth. Three times opened. Treasures from the National Library of Poland at the Palace of the Commonwealth (2024, with Patryk Sapała)
He is also the author of several dozen articles[1].
^ abAmerica, Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in (2007). The Polish review. Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America. p. 227. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
