Andrew Kizirian also closed their home library

Vaհe H Apelian

On October 29, 2025, I wrote a blog reflecting upon reading on that day, that Andrew Kizirian has donated his Armenian library consisting of close to 2000 books to Armenian Museum's Mesrob G Boyajian Library in Watertown, MA. Surely, it was commendable gesture, but it also is another example of the Armenian libraries disappearing from Armenian homes. 

In 2018, the New York Armenian Center closed its over 100 years old public Armenia library because of lack of readers, and had its books sent to Artsakh Another tragic reality for the Armenian community of NY and another kind tragedy awaited these books in Artsakh.  The eminent linguist Armenag Yeghiayan wrote an article about its closure and about the closure of the personal libraries of Ardashes Der-Khatchadourian, Hagop Iskenderian, Vahe Vahian. 

On May 7, 2025 I reflected in a blog post about my reading in “Horizon” Weekly that Vahe Setian’s daughters, Ms. Mayda Setian and Mrs. Lena Setian-Der Kaloustian, donating their father’s large private collection of rare books to the prelacy of Canada. I had a personal experience with Vahe Setian’s library accompanying my uncle Antranig Chalabian searching for primary sources when he was collaborating with Dr. Stanley Kerr. He found them in Vahe Setian's personal Library.

At least two decades ago, I too donated most of my books to the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA). My mother had my library shipped from Lebanon when I immigrated to the U.S. Carrying them from one house to another, from one state to another was becoming taxing, especially for my wife and mother-in-law. I also knew that my books had no future without me.

Yesterday, in a comment, this is what Andrew Kizirian wrote on my Facebook page about his library and about his donating his collection to the Armenian Museum.

“ I donated my library of a few thousand books and periodicals to the Armenian Museum of America. A very substantial portion of the collection was devoted to Armenian subjects, art, history, literature, theology, the Armenian Encyclopedia, very large volumes often exceeding 500 pages devoted to various provinces of Western Armenia. These were in Armenian. The collection on Armenian subjects included hundreds of volumes in Armenian and English. There were also many books devoted to the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire, the first Armenian Republic, Soviet Armenia, the Armenian revolutionary movement and the Armenian Genocide. I approached NAASR, several Armenian studies chairs at universities, the Armenian Prelacy and other entities about donating my collection. There was no interest or no space to house the collection. Fortunately, the Armenian Museum expressed an interest in the collection, to house and organize it, and make it available to Armenologists, researchers and scholars for academic purposes. Having accumulated my book collection for almost 60 years, and enjoyed it immensely, I was extremely happy.”

A few days ago, on February 22, 2026, Levon Sharoyan from Aleppo wrote an article about the fate of Armenian personal libraries and titled it “Who should we beget our libraries?” (ՄԵՐ ԳՐԱԴԱՐԱՆՆԵՐԸ ՈՐՈ՞ՒՆ ԿՏԱԿԵՆՔ). The few public depositories we have, such as NAASR (National Association of Armenian Studies and Research) , the Armenian Museum, formerly the Armenian Museum and Library of America (ALMA) are getting filled up to capacity and will accept only books they do not have. Landfill is what remains . 

The closure of these personal libraries in our homes is indicative of the inevitable demise of Armenian readership in the Diaspora.