A national library is established by the government of a nation to serve as the pre-eminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public libraries, they rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, or significant works; such as the Gutenberg Bible. National libraries are usually notable for their size, compared to that of other libraries in the same country. Some national libraries may be thematic or specialized in some specific domains, beside or in replacement of the 'main' national library.
Some national entities which are not independent but who wish to preserve their particular culture, have established a national library with all the attributes of such institutions, such as legal deposit.
Many national libraries cooperate within the National Libraries Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to discuss their common tasks, define and promote common standards and carry out projects helping them to fulfil their duties. National libraries of Europe participate in The European Library. This is a service of The Conference of European National Librarians (CENL).
The list below is organized alphabetically by country, according to the list of sovereign states, including, at its end an 'other states' section for non-sovereign states. A "♦" indicates a national library of a province or state, or constituent country or dependent state[neutrality is disputed]. It is listed under the sovereign state which governs that entity. Sovereign states are listed even when they have no national library or when the existence and name of a national library could not yet be ascertained. Other states, constituent countries and dependent states are listed only if they have a national library.
National Library, Singapore (Limited to Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, PublicationSG, and reference section of Regional Libraries / Public Libraries)
The member states of the Swiss Confederation are the 26 cantons of Switzerland. The cantonal libraries [de] (German: Kantonsbibliothek, French: Bibliothèque cantonale, Italian: Biblioteca cantonale, Romansh: Biblioteca chantunala) are:
Solothurn: Zentralbibliothek Solothurn (city and cantonal library)
St. Gallen: Kantonsbibliothek St. Gallen
Ticino: four libraries, Biblioteca cantonale di Bellinzona, Biblioteca cantonale di Locarno, Biblioteca cantonale di Lugano, Biblioteca cantonale e del Liceo di Mendrisio
^According to the United Nations, as of 2021, approximately 37 percent of adult Afghans can read.[1]
^According to the United Nations, as of 2020, approximately 37 percent of adult Central Africans can read.[1]
^According to the United Nations, as of 2021, approximately 27 percent of adult Chadians can read.[1]
^According to the United Nations, as of 2020, approximately 31 percent of adult Malians can read.[1]
^According to the United Nations, as of 2021, approximately 37 percent of adult Nigeriens can read.[1]
^According to the United Nations, as of 2018, approximately 35 percent of adult South Sudanese can read.[1]
References
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^"Homepage". People's Demotracic Republic of Algeria: Ministry of Culture and Arts: Algerian National Library (in Arabic). Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"Cera Simple". Biblioteca Nacional d'Andorra (in Catalan). Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"National Library of Angola". 188.166.221.150/.
^"National Library of Antigua and Barbuda". www.nationallibraryofantiguaandbarbuda.org.
^Moreno, Biblioteca Nacional Mariano. "Inicio - Biblioteca Nacional". Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno.
^"Homepage". National Library of Armenia (in Armenian). Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"COPYRIGHT ACT 1968 - SECT 201 Delivery of library material to the National Library". austlii.edu.au. 2012. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
^"Home | National Library of Australia". www.nla.gov.au.
^"Harry C. Moore Library Guide: About Us". University of the Bahamas. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
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^"আরকাইভস ও গ্রন্থাগার অধিদপ্তর-গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ সরকার". www.nanl.gov.bd.
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^"Deposit copies". Estonian National Library. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
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^"Eswatini National Library Service". March 30, 2022.
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^"National Archive and Library Agency". September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-09-21.
^"Ministry of Education". January 23, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-01-23.
^"Biblioteca Nacional de Guatemala "Luis Cardoza y Aragón" — Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes". May 23, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-05-23.
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^"سازمان اسناد و کتابخانه ملی ایران - سازمان اسناد و کتابخانه ملی ایران". www.nlai.ir.
^"Iran, Tehran: Malek Museum". www.caroun.com.
^"Homepage". Iraqi National Library and Archives. Archived from the original on December 6, 2006. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"National Library of Ireland - Homepage". www.nli.ie.
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^"Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze". www.bncf.firenze.sbn.it.
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^"Home". www.bnnonline.it. June 3, 2019.
^"National Library of Jamaica - NLJ". nlj.gov.jm.
^"National Library of Jamaica | Welcome". February 19, 2004. Archived from the original on 2004-02-19.
^"Legal Deposit System". National Diet Library. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
^"National Diet Library". www.ndl.go.jp.
^"دائرة المكتبة الوطنية". www.nl.gov.jo.
^"Homepage". The Official Site National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"National Library". Kenya National Library Service. Archived from the original on 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
^"Home". www.knls.ac.ke.
^"Kiribati National Library and Archives". Commonwealth Network. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
^Stam, David H., ed. (2016). International Dictionary of Library Histories. London: Routledge. pp. 482–483. ISBN978-1-136-77785-1.
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^"::: The National Digital Library :::". July 26, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-07-26.
^"National Library for children and young adults". www.nlcy.go.kr.
^"مكتبة الكويت الوطنية". www.nlk.gov.kw.
^"The National Library of the Kyrgyz Republic". February 12, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-02-12.
^"National Library of Laos". July 24, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-07-24.
^"Liberia Public Library Systems Project". INDESEEM INCORPORATED. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
^"National Library of Libya". www.nllnet.net.
^Lettau-Poelchen, Marc. "Home". Archived from the original on 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
^"Ar Bebos Epštein autobiografija bus skaitoma Lietuvos mokyklose?". Lietuvos Nacionaline Martyno Mazvydo Biblioteka (in Lithuanian). April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^Luxembourg 37, Bibliothèque nationale de. "Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg (BnL)". bnl.public.lu.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Page Redirection". www.nubsk.edu.mk.
^"NLSMW". October 13, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-10-13.
^"Homepage". Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia | Main". October 28, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-10-28.
^"HOME | National Library". nlm.gov.mv.
^"Ministère de la Culture du Mali". April 7, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-04-07.
^"National Library of Malta - Contact Information". October 25, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-10-25.
^"Alele Museum & Public Library". Alele Museum & Public Library.
^"Biblotheque Nationale de Mauritanie". libraries.org. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"National Library - Republic of Mauritius". December 23, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-12-23.
^"Biblioteca Nacional de México". www.bnm.unam.mx.
^"Official website" (in Spanish). Hemeroteca Nacional de México. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
^"Office of National Archives, Culture and Historic Preservation". Federated States of Micronesia. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
^"...BNRM... | 27 November 2007". November 27, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-11-27.
^"Mediathèque". August 28, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-08-28.
^"American Center of Mongolian Studies - Library Fellowship 2019". November 26, 2018.
^"cnb.me". www.cnb.me.
^"Homepage". Bibliothèque Nationale du Royaume du Maroc. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"Biblioteca Nacional de Moçambique". May 19, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-05-19.
^"NATLIB".
^"Homepage". Nepal National Library. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"Koninklijke Bibliotheek | Nationale Bibliotheek van Nederland". www.kb.nl.
^"Biblioteca Nacional Aruba". Archived from the original on 2011-12-02. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
^"Home | National Library of New Zealand". natlib.govt.nz.
^"Cook Islands Museum and Library Society | Official Website of the Cook Islands Library & Museum Society".
^"Biblioteca Nacional Rubén Darío". www.bnrd.gob.ni.
^"Ministerio de Salud - República de Nicaragua". September 11, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-09-11.
^"nlbn.org". www.nlbn.org.
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^"National Library Of Pakistan". www.nlp.gov.pk.
^"Palau Community College » Library".
^"Homepage". Biblioteca Nacional Panama (in Spanish). Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"The Office of Libraries and Archives". November 27, 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-11-27.
^"Biblioteca Nacional del Paraguay". Secretaría Nacional de Cultura. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
^"Biblioteca Nacional de Agricultura (BINA)". Portal Guarani. 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
^"Ley de Depósito Legal en la Biblioteca Nacional del Perú" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
^"Biblioteca Virtual - BNP". Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
^"National Library of the Philippines". web.nlp.gov.ph.
^"Biblioteka Narodowa". www.bn.org.pl.
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^"Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal". www.bnportugal.gov.pt.
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^"Homepage". National Library of Sweden. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
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^"National Central Library (Tanzania)". WorldCat. OCLC. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
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^"nlt.go.th". October 29, 2005. Archived from the original on 29 October 2005.
^"DEPOLIB - Bibliotheque nationale du Togo". April 16, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-04-16.
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^"Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage - ADACH". March 10, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-03-10.
^"The British Library". The British Library.
^"Hafan | Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru". www.llyfrgell.cymru.
^"Bermuda National Library - Web Portal". February 15, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-15.
^"BVI Government". Archived from the original on 2007-05-07.
^"Home | Manx National Heritage : Celebrating the Isle of Man's History".
^"Libraries". May 16, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16.
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^"NCEE Projects: National Library of Education". September 15, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-09-15.
^"Bureau of Transportation Statistics". ntl.bts.gov.
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^"National Agricultural Library | United States Department of Agriculture". www.nal.usda.gov.
^"Página principal". July 10, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-07-10.
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^"BNV".
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External links
"The National Libraries Project".
"National Libraries Section". International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). Retrieved 2014-04-01.
"National Libraries of the World: Address List". International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Archived from the original on 2008-12-18. Note: the IFLA now links to the Wikipedia list above (partly edited by IFLA members) instead of maintaining its own list, see also the Annual Report 2009 of the National Libraries Section.
"UNESCO Libraries portal". UNESCO. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-01.