The 3rd International Ex-Libris Exhibition " Old Scripts", which in this year of 2001 is being opened and dedicated to the great jubilee of Croatian literacy, the 900th Anniversary of the the Baška Tablet and of the old Croatian script, the Glagolitic. It is at the same time a memorial to Rijeka's Glagolitic printshop of Šimun Kožičić Benja (1530-1531), in tribute to its 470th anniversary this year. The invitation to artists, art associations and societies that are ex-librist devotees in Croatia and worldwide, to create ex-libris designs, dedicating them to the great jubilees of literacy, resulted in a response from 332 authors from 42 countries with a contribution of 746 ex-libris works, thus making this exhibition remain the largest of its kind in Europe. For this exhibition, the ex-libris authors have put forward two prints of each ex-libris, one of which becomes an integral part of the ex-libris collection of the University Library of Rijeka.

    For the realization of the 3rd International Ex-Libris Exhibition I wish to thank the members of the Organizing Committee headed by Juraj Lokmer, head of the University Library of Rijeka, and the International Jury, especially to the chairwoman of the Jury, M.Sc. Slavica Marković, Head of the Department of Prints and Drawings of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences. I also express my gratitude to the employees of the University Library of Rijeka for their assistance in organizing this manifestation, as well as to numerous other co-workers. Special thanks for high-level sponsorship goes to Croatian Parliament-Sabor under their sponsorship is this exhibition held and for their understanding, cooperation and financial support to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the Department of Culture-City of Rijeka.

    In behalf of the Organizing Committee and the International Jury, we extend our congratulations to Croatian artist Nikola Skokandić as the winner of the Grand Prix, as well as to all the winners of the 3rd International Ex-Libris Exhibition.

M. A., Josip Butković, full professor,
Member of the Organizing Committee &
International Jury,
Initiator and one of the founders of the
International Ex Libris Exhibition in Rijeka