The Former Yugoslavia presents one of the greatest challenges for someone compiling a guide to Slavic national bibliography, for at various times in the past two centuries the different republics were listing their resources together and at other times they were listing them separately. This page covers resources that aimed at comprehensive national coverage of all of the former republics, but separate pages are prepared for each one to reflect their current statuses as countries. Cross references will be made among the various pages for items that relate to more than one place, but do not really belong on the Former Yugoslavia page. Also below may be some titles that are not truly national bibliography, but for certain time periods may have served as a quasi national bibliography in lieu of the real thing such as Bibliograf: popis novih knjiga i periodicnih publikacija u kraljevini Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca, which showed the new acquisitions of the National Library in Belgrade during 1926. One can presume that the National Library was receiving more materials than other libraries at the time, although it was probably not receiving everything. (The first depository law affecting the National Library in Belgrade was passed in 1870, but it did not cover all of the territory of the Former Yugoslavia. By 1926 both the territory and the depository laws were different, but there still was a depository law in effect concerning the National Library). Some of these early bibliographies which since may have been superseded also have historical significance for the history of Yugoslav bibliography and thus are included in our list.
The bibliographies annotated below mainly cover monographs, but ones that cover both monographs and periodicals will also be listed here. Ones that cover just periodicals will be described on the pages for Periodical Resources for Former Yugoslavia and/or Periodical Resources for each individual country. Bibliographies of the various academies of sciences and matica organizations are presented on the page for Monographic Bibliography for Former Yugoslavia.
A brief summary of the history of Yugoslav bibliography is also a challenge since each group has a different history. Suffice it to say that a semi-Soviet style national bibliography has been published since 1950. This means that there are different sections of the national bibliography published for each type of publication produced in the country. For example, there is a periodical that lists all of the new books, music and pamphlets; there is also a periodical that lists all of the new periodicals; there is a periodical that lists the contents of Yugoslav journals, etc. For coverage of the years before this system of national bibliography was in place, there are a number of bibliographies that deal with the years of 1945-1949, but before 1945 national bibliographic coverage was erratic with just a few short-lived attempts. Some retrospective bibliographies as well as bibliographies of particular regions have helped to fill the gaps. Look at the introductory statements for each country for more specifics as well as a citation to a printed work to learn more on the topic.
For further reading on Yugoslav bibliography including bibliography of each of the former republics, see the article entitled “Bibliografija” in Enciklopedija Jugoslavije, volume 1 [U of I Library Call Number: Yugoslav Reference 914.97 En16]. To read more about recent publishing trends and online resources in Former Yugoslavia see Slavic & East European Information Resources, 1:2/3, 2000. This special issue is entitled “Publishing in Yugoslavia’s Successor States” and most of the articles have a brief discussion of the current state of national bibliography in each of the states. The Croatian article appeared in a later issue, 2:3/4, 2001.
Online Resources
For annotations and URL’s of the online catalogs of the national libraries of each country/former republic see the appropriate national bibliography pages. The only one that is annotated below is the scanned version of the 14-volume printed Katalog knjiga 1868-1972 because this source when it was first produced in print was intended to serve as a retrospective national bibliography for Yugoslavia.
Katalog knjiga na jezicima jugoslovenskih naroda, 1868-1972. {online}
URL: http://www.digitalna.nb.rs/sf/NBS/Katalozi_i_bibliografije
This catalog represents the collection of the National Library of Serbia in Belgrade. It covers thousands of monographic titles published between 1868 and 1972 in the various languages of Former Yugoslavia. According to Murlin Croucher’s annotation in Slavic Studies it is “intended as a national retrospective bibliography.” The scanned version is available for free at the web site of the National Library of Serbia. When you search the catalog, what comes up on the screen is the scanned image of the printed page where the sought after item appeared in the published version of the catalog. You will need to peruse the page to locate the desired record. The only search option is by author, but you can limit by volume number if you happen to know which of the printed volumes you are interested in. Or you can simply chose a volume and not search any author and that will result in displaying the first page of the selected volume. Do not search in Cyrillic fonts, Latin only seems to work. Croatian diacritics make the search more exact, but you can still get by with just regular Latin alphabet fonts.
Bibliographies
Jugoslavica usque ad annum MDC: Bibliographie der sudslawischen Fruhdrucke.
Badalic, Josip. Baden Baden: Verlag Librairie Heitz GMBH, 1966. (Bibliotheca bibliographica Aureliana ; II). 2nd ed. 132 p.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Former Yugoslav Reference (Slavic) 655.1497 B14J1966
This bibliography is a chronological list of incunabula and 16th century South Slavic publications covering the dates 1483-1599. The bibliographic descriptions are very detailed as is the standard practice for rare materials. They include titles in the original alphabet (sometimes Glagolitic) and transliterated, authors, places and dates of publication, physical descriptions, etc. There are also location codes for libraries that hold copies of the items and bibliographical references to the sources that cite these works. There are many illustrations and a list of those illustrations at the back of the book. Indexes for authors, translators, publishers and places of publication are also provided. Territories covered include Serbia, Croatia, Slovenian, parts of Italy, Montenegro, Bosnia, Romania, etc. See the entry below for a volume published in Rijeka in the Glagolitic alphabet.
Katalog knjiga na jezicima jugoslovenskih naroda 1519-1867
Djuric, Svetislav. Beograd: Narodna biblioteka SR Srbije, 1973. 537 p.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Former Yugoslav Reference (Slavic) Q.015.497 N233
Publications in South Slavic languages published between 1519 and 1867 that are held in the National Library of Serbia in Belgrade are the subject of this bibliography. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author or by title if there is no author and they contain full bibliographic data. There are numerous indexes providing additional access to authors, Cyrillic titles, Latin titles, publishers, places of publication, chronology, printers, and books with lists of subscribers. Territories covered include Serbia, Croatia, Slovenian, parts of Italy, Montenegro, Bosnia, Romania, etc. Many illustrations of old title pages and drawings make this bibliography more attractive than most. See the entry below for a few books by Vuk Karadzic.
Katalog knjiga na jezicima jugoslovenskih naroda, 1868-1972
Puric, Svetislav. Beograd: Narodna biblioteka SR Srbije, 1975- . 14 vols.
U of I does not own. OCLC Accession number: 2658684
Although we have not seen this set, it seems important enough to include since it represents the collection of the National Library of Serbia in Belgrade. It covers thousands of titles published between 1868 and 1972 in the various languages of Former Yugoslavia. According to Murlin Croucher’s annotation in Slavic Studies it is “intended as a national retrospective bibliography.” See the annotation above of the scanned version of this catalog which is available at the web site of the National Library of Serbia.
Slovansky katalog bibliograficky za rok… 1877-81
V Praze: Nakladem spolku …, 1877-1881.
U of I Library Call Number: Oak Street 016.8918 Sl58 V.1-2 [U of I lacks 1879-1881]
Although this annual publication only appeared from 1877-81, it lists Slovene, Croatian, and Serbian monographic and serial titles in volumes 2 and 3. Other sections of interest include Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Polish, and Ukrainian. Within these language groups, the entries are arranged alphabetically by author, or title if there is no author. There is an index of subjects at the beginning of some sections which covers topics such as encyclopedias, periodicals, mathematics, theater, etc. See the entries below which appeared in the 1879 volume.
“Spisak vaznijih jugoslovenskih knjiga”
in Almanah Kraljevine Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca (V. 1, pt 2, pp 161-174).
Zagreb: Komisionalna naklada Hrvatskog stamparskog zavoda, 1921-22.
U of I Library Call Number: Oak Street Facility 314.97 Al62 1921-22
Although this source admits it is in no way a comprehensive, scholarly bibliography, it is one of the only items that covers Yugoslav books for the years 1921-22. The introduction claims that it is an attempt to show important editions still in stock that survived the wars in the Balkans during the first two decades of the 20th century or that have been reprinted. This bibliography has very short entries without publisher information and with the alphabet indicated by an abbreviation in parentheses. Because of its selective scope and abbreviated entries it should be a last resort. Entries are arranged by subject. Immediately following the bibliography of books is one for periodicals. One peculiar note: the bibliography seems to randomly present subject headings and citations either all in the Cyrillic or all in the Latin alphabet regardless of the alphabet of the Slavic originals. See the image below for the beginning of the section on dictionaries and grammars.
Opsti katalog knjiga, 1921, 1923, 1935, 1938
Kon, Geca, firm, Beograd.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Former Yugoslav Reference (Slavic) 015.497 K83o [U of I holds only the 1935 catalog]
Because of the spotty nature of Yugoslav national bibliography between the First and Second World Wars, a few books dealer’s catalogs are included on this page including this one from Geca Kon in Beograd. It covers primarily the 1920s-mid-1930s, but there are also some earlier materials. The catalog includes legal documents and commentaries as well as books, books in series, and periodicals. The entries are divided by subject, but unfortunately there are no additional indexes. See the image on the right for a few entries that appear under the heading of Textbooks.
Opsti katalog knjiga
Veljkovic, Bosko M. Beograd: Prosveta, 1953.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Former Yugoslav Reference (Slavic) 016.002 Op62
Due to the spotty nature of Yugoslav national bibliography between the First and Second World Wars, a few books dealer’s or publisher’s catalogs are included on this page including this one from Prosveta in Beograd. This is a general list of books available from 1919-1952, not exclusively those published by Prosveta. There is even a short list of periodical publications at the end. Books in series and musical scores are also represented. The entries are arranged by subject with an author index at the end. See the entries below which appeared under the heading of Music for Two Violins.
Bibliograf: popis novih knjiga i periodicnih publikacija u kraljevini Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 015.497 B471
This bibliographic serial appeared only for one year, 1926, and it presents all new materials printed in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes that were received by the National Library in Belgrade. However, because it represents the receipts of just one institution, comprehensiveness cannot be assumed. Although the bibliography was published in 1926, the titles covered may have been published in 1925 or 1926. It covers both books and periodicals. The citations are arranged alphabetically in each monthly issue. Beginning with issue 4 the entries are arranged by subject and the journal entries show the contents of the issues. See the entry on the left for a journal entitled Hrvatska Prosvjeta.
Jugoslovenski bibliografski godisnjak za 1933 god = Annuaire bibliographique yougoslave
Beograd: Stamparija Drag. Popovica, 1935. (Srpska kraljevska akademija. Posebna izdanja, knj. 106).
OCLC: 4417888
According to its introduction, this bibliography is the first attempt to record everything that has been published in Yugoslavia regardless of language. It covers books, series, and periodicals produced in 1933. The work was completed by employees of the National Library in Belgrade. The entries are arranged into two sections: books and journals/newspapers. Books in Serbo-Croatian are listed first, books in Slovene are listed second, and books in other languages are listed last. Within each section the items are arranged in alphabetical order by author or by title if there is no author. Bold face print of authors and titles and sometimes keywords make this source much easier to use. It is indexed by editors of journals and newspapers as well as by subject. See the image below for an example of how titles in series are treated.
Jugoslovenska bibliografija
Beograd: Savez knjizarskih organizacija Kraljevine Jugoslavije, 1934-1935. (Jan 1934-Sept 1935).
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 015.497 J936 v.1-2:9 1934-35
This monthly bibliography covering 1934-35 includes publications from all parts of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In fact, it also has a brief section at the beginning which lists later 1933 publications. Entries are arranged by subject. All subjects are listed with their Roman numeral equivalents on the first page of every issue. You need to note the Roman numerals for the subjects you are interested in, because the subjects themselves are not printed in the body of bibliographies, they are indicated by the numerals. Abbreviations for places of publication and publishers are also given on the first page. There are no indices. Although this was an early attempt at national bibliographic coverage, comprehensiveness may not be assumed. See the entries on the left which appeared in the 1934:1-2 issue under the subject XI or Children’s literature.
Prilog jugoslovenskoj bibliografiji za 1938 godinu
Veljkovic, Bosko M. Beograd: ZORA, 1939.
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 015.497 P935, 1938
Although in the introduction the compiler admit that this is not a comprehensive bibliography, it is the only non-retrospective resource for Yugoslav publications for the year 1938 (with the exception of book dealer’s catalogs). Both books and periodicals are covered with items from all of the regions of Yugoslavia. The entries are arranged by subject and the bibliography concludes with an index of authors and translators. See the image below for a few entries under the heading of Pedagogy and Psychology.
Jugoslovenska bibliografija 1945: Grada
Jovanovic, Zivorad P. Beograd: Jugoslovenska knjiga, 1947. 201 p.
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 015.497 J93621945
According to the introduction the purpose of this bibliography is to record what was published in Yugoslavia in book or pamphlet format after the Liberation in the years 1944-1946. In actuality only 1944 and 1945 are included. Some periodicals are also described. The compiler discusses some of the issues surrounding the compilation such as the difficulty determining certain basic facts about the items such as print runs, original sale price, etc., and briefly, the unstable nature of the publishing industry at that time. The resulting bibliography serves as an overview of Yugoslav publishing activity for 1944-45. Entries are arranged by subject such as Law, Marxism-Leninism, Philosophy, etc. Within each subject the books are grouped by language of publication, Serbo-Croatian, Slovene or Macedonian. Periodicals are listed at the end. There is an index of names. See the image below for a Macedonian book that appears under the heading of law.
Izdavacka delatnost u FNRJ: knjige i brosure. Bibliografski mesecnik
Beograd: Izdanje direk. za infor. vlade FNRJ, 1947-49.
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 015.497 IZ 1949
This monthly publication covers books and pamphlets from 1947-1949 from all of the republics and was issued by the same firm that produced Jugoslovenska bibliografija 1945-1949 which is annotated immediately below. U of I holds only the year 1949. The monthly appears to cover the same publications as the later bibliography except the order of presentation is a bit different. In the journal the citations are arranged by the same subject categories as Jugoslovenska bibliografija 1945-1949 and similar publishing statistics are provided (monthly, not annual statistics), but the entries are not compiled into one source, they are presented monthly. There are no indices in the monthly, thus access is just by subject. See the entries below which appear in the 1949:3 issue under the heading of bibliography.
Jugoslovenska bibliografija. 1945-1949
Beograd: Izdanje direk. za infor. vlade FNRJ, 1950. 5 vols.
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 015.497 J9361
These five volumes represent one of the early attempts at a Yugoslav national bibliography. They cover monographs and pamphlets from the period 1945-1949 from all of the republics. Unfortunately, there are no introductory materials explaining the method or scope of compilation so comprehensiveness of coverage may not be assumed. Entries are arranged by subject with the full subject arrangement given at the back of each volume. All citations are given in the alphabet of the original publication. There are indexes for names as well as some statistical publication tables which show among other things how many items were printed in each republic. Although this work has been superseded by the retrospective bibliography annotated immediately below, it is included here for its historical significance. See the table below which shows the breakdown of publications for 1945 by republic.
Jugoslovenska retrospektivna bibliografska grada: knjige, brosure i muzikalije1945-1967, this retrospective bibliography attempts to be comprehensive in its coverage of books, pamphlets, and music produced on the territory of Former Jugoslavia, 1945-1967
Dosen, Dobrila. ; Janicijevic, Jovan. Beograd: Jugoslovenski bibliografski Institut, 1969-1971. 21 vols.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Former Yugoslav Reference (Slavic) 015.497 B41j
Covering the dates. It was compiled as a replacement for Jugoslovenska bibliografija 1945-49 (015.497 J9361) and Bibliografija Jugoslavije (015.497 B472), but up to 1967 only. It does not include certain lesser works, the types of which are listed on page iv. of v. 1. Among the exclusions are maps, some telephone books, certain church publications less than 80 pages in length, etc. Books are listed by Universal Decimal Classification, a general scheme of which may be found at the beginning of the index section in Volume 21. Within each subject area the items are arranged alphabetically by author or by title if there is no author. Volume 21 also contains supplements to each class number, and a subject index to class numbers. It includes works in all of the languages of Former Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, there are no author or title indexes which makes this bibliography rather difficult to use. See the image below for the first two entries that appear under the heading Christianity.
Bibliografija Jugoslavije: knjige, brosure i muzikalije
Beograd : Bibliografiski institut FNRJ, 1950- .
U of I Library Call Number: Oak Street 015.497 B472 v.40:13-24, 41-42:1-10, 48:3-12 [U of I lacks 1991-1996, 1998-2003]
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 015.497 B472 v.1-39 + Indexes [some of the annual indexes are bound at the back of the regular volumes, some are bound individually]
This title is the official national bibliography of Yugoslavia from 1950 to the disintegration of the country in 1991. Although Yugoslavia no longer exists, this bibliography continues to appear, but listing only the publications of the areas remaining in the country (Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and some parts of Bosnia). See the appropriate pages for the national bibliographies of the new countries of Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia/Hercegovina, and Macedonia. It covers books, pamphlets and music published in any language on the territory of Yugoslavia, but all of the citations are reproduced in the Latin alphabet regardless of the original alphabet of the title. This serial appears monthly and is arranged by subject. The list of subjects is printed at the back of each issue. Each issue also has indexes for names, subjects, and titles. Annual cumulative name, title, and classified subject indexes also are published. In some issues there were even indexes to show which titles were published in which republics including non-republic regions such as Vojvodina and Kosovo. See the entries on the right for two items that appeared in the 1989:19-20 issue under the heading of Accounting and Bookkeeping.