National Library of Kosovo
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| Established | 1944 |
|---|---|
| Reference to legal mandate | The Government Approval Document for The National Library of Kosovo |
| Location | Pristina, Kosovo |
| Coordinates | 42°39′26″N 21°9′44″E / 42.65722°N 21.16222°ECoordinates: 42°39′26″N 21°9′44″E / 42.65722°N 21.16222°E |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | books, journals, newspapers, magazines, manuscripts, maps, pictures and digital resources |
| Size | 1,890,194 |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 5000 |
| Other information | |
| Director | Fazli Gajraku |
| Website | Official Page in Albanian |
The National Library of Kosovo (Albanian: Biblioteka Kombëtare e Kosovës; Serbian: Narodna biblioteka Kosova / Народна библиотека Косова) is the highest library institution in Kosovo established by the Assembly and is located in Pristina.
The mission of the library is to collect, preserve, promote and make accessible the documentary and intellectual heritage of Kosovo. It holds exhibitions and holds an archive of national newspapers. The library also provides a number of other services. It is known for its unique history, and the style of the building designed by Croatian architect Andrija Mutnjaković, followed by controversies about the outside appearance of it.
The history of libraries in Kosovo dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Collections of the Christian and Muslim religious communities are considered as the oldest archives libraries in Kosovo.
Kosovo's institutional library was officially founded in December 1944 in the city of Prizren, which at the time was the capital of the country.
In 1982 the library was moved to the current building which was built in Pristina, the current capital of Kosovo.
Over the years the National Library's name has changed depending on the political position of Kosovo.
Note that the former official names of the National Library of Kosovo are originally in Albanian and can be found in the library's journal Bibloletra
This period of time is known as the occupation period for Kosovo, it's when Kosovo's autonomy status was taken away by Yugoslavia, Albanian employees were discharged from their jobs by Serbian authorities, and Albanian students were prohibited to attend public education. For public and private libraries in Kosovo, this was a time when many library collections were burned and destroyed.
During this time the National Library of Kosovo was used as a residence for a large number of Croatian and Bosnian refugees who had fled their countries due to the Yugoslav wars. After NATO's intervention in Kosovo, it was revealed that the Serbian Army had used the National Library of Kosovo as a command and control centre. The materials inside the National Library had been stolen, reading room furniture smashed, and the card catalogue had been dumped in the basement. The library workers were kept out for a week while the KFOR peacekeeping troops checked the building for any hidden explosives.
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Wikipedia