Libraries

The Culture Ministry operates 2,526 public libraries.

Thanks to a well-developed network of libraries, mobile library services with the use of bookmobiles, digitization and connection of public libraries to the internet, the number of visits to libraries, including online, is growing. In 2019, Belarusian libraries welcomed more than 31 million visitors.

The National Library of Belarus is the main library of the country, the treasury of the documentary heritage of the Belarusian nation. In 2022, the museum will celebrate its centennial anniversary. At present, the library’s holdings include around 10 million items. The unique collection of about 500,000 national documents, published in Belarus since the beginning of the 19^th century, is of special value, same as editions and materials about Belarus, including foreign ones.

The library is home to around 100,000 rare and old books and manuscripts, the earliest of which date back to the 14^th-15^th centuries. They include a collection of books published by Belarus’ book printing pioneer Francysk Skaryna – ten editions of the Bible that heralded the beginning of the Belarusian book printing.

The National Library of Belarus actively creates its own resources, purchases digital information resources from the world’s leading producers, and grants free access to national and global information resources.

The library’s cutting-edge engineering and technological equipment enables it to use the most advanced IT solutions. It meets the public demand for education, science, and culture at the highest level and chronicles the history of Belarus.