From 20 February to 20 December, a book-illustrative exhibition of editions that have won awards at the 51st National Contest "The Art of Book", runs at the National Library of Belarus (3rd floor, circular hall).
On 7 February the Year of Book was solemnly and symbolically opened by the ceremony of awarding the winners of the content "The Art of Book – 2012" which was occurred at the National Library of Belarus.
The competition underwent many changes: nominations, their numbers, time and place of awarding the winners. But its aims has stayed the same: the further development of book art, improvement of literary and publishing art of Belarusian books, popularization of the best publishing achievements of our country.
Traditionally the competition was continued by the book-illustrative exhibition "The Best Books for 2012". It is organized at the National Library of Belarus and based on the editions, which have won in the following nominations:
- The nomination "Triumph". The winner is the book "Dmitri Strukov. Albom risunkov. 1864–1867" (Dmitri Strukov. Album of drawings. 1864–1867) ("Grand Prix", publishing house "Belarusian Encyclopedia named after Petrus Brovka");
- The nomination "Art Book". The winner is a photo album "Minsk. Gorod I lyudi. Fotografii maksima Kachana" (Minsk. The city and people. Photos by Vadim Kachan) (publishing house "Artiya Group");
- The nomination "LIT-format". The winner is a set of Maxim Bogdanovich’s books "Ramans. Pagonya. Slutskіya tkachyhі" (A romance. A pursuit. Slutsk weavers) (Belarusian Fund of culture);
- The nomination "Textbook of the new century". The winner is a school-book with a set of samples in words by I. Bobl and others "ABC-2" (publishing house "Vysheyshaya school");
- The nomination "A photoview". The winner is a two-volume album "Belarus sozidatelnaya" (The creating Belarus) (publishing house "Belarusian Telegraph Agency");
- The nomination "Together we grow with the book". The winner is the book "Skazki tetushki Ruf" (The tales of aunt Ruth) by N. Golubeva (publishing organization "Literature and Art");
- The nomination "Eureka". The winner is the book "Iz proshlogo v budyshchee. Biblioteki Belarusi. Chast I. IX – nachalo XX veka" (From the past to the future. Libraries of Belarus. Part I. IX – the beginning of XX century) by R.S Motulsky (publishing house "Belarusian Encyclopedia named after Petrus Brovka");
- The nomination "Golden Tablets". The winner is the encyclopedia "Maksіm Bagdanovіch" (publishing house "Belarusian Encyclopedia named after Petrus Brovka");
- The nomination "Spirituality". The winner is the book "Polotskoe radovanie. Svyato Efrosienskie torzhestva 1910 goda" (The Day of Rejoicing in Polotsk. Holy Evfrosinievskie ceremonies in 1910) (Spaso-Evfrosinievsky Convent in Polotsk diocese);
- The nomination "Commonwealth". The winner is a spiritual and educational edition "Zakon Bozhiy" (The Law of God) (publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Belarusian Exarchate);
- The nomination "For contributions to the preservation of intangible heritage". The winner is the book "Dzіkae palyavanne karalya Stacha" (The Wild Hunt of King Stakh) by Vladimir Korotkevich (Belarusian Fund of culture).
For contribution to the promotion of Belarusian books, support and promotion of reading the National Library of Belarus won in the nomination "For the promotion of reading".