Students from the Vocational Education Center of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University visited the university's central library and the Zoological Museum.

The visit was carried out within the framework of the project "Let's Learn, Make Friends, and Discover Georgia – Extracurricular Activities for a Sustainable Future."

The students learned about the history of the university library’s establishment and the first collections that laid the foundation for its book fund. They also visited the book repository, where rare and unique publications are preserved, as well as the  laboratory, which enables the university library to restore such valuable editions. One of the most recent restoration projects the students learned about was a 1711 edition of a theological work by Germanus.

The educational tour of the vocational students continued at TSU’s Zoological Museum, which houses around 5,000 unique specimens. Visitors had the opportunity to explore the rich diversity of Georgia’s fauna, including exhibits that can only be seen at the university’s museum.

TSU libraries — the Central Library and the National Science Library — house over 8 million books and periodicals, as well as nearly 22 million patents. The foundation of the university library dates back to 1917, when a private collection belonging to prominent Georgian publicist Kita Abashidze became its core. The TSU book repository expanded mainly through donations from individuals and institutions. Within two years, the university’s collection had grown to include over 100,000 books.

The Zoological Museum was established in 1946 by academician Niko Ketskhoveli. Today, the museum’s exhibition features nearly 5,000 display specimens. Among the collections are unique coral polyps, butterflies, beetles, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

The bird collection is particularly noteworthy, as it includes all species of resident and migratory birds found in Georgia.