National Library of Azerbaijan

From the history of the National Library named after M.F.Akhundov

Azerbaijan National Library is one of the largest and famous national libraries and bookkeepers not only in the Caucasus, but also all over the world. 

The library was founded in 1922 and its official opening was on May 23, 1923. 

In 1939 the library was named after M.F.Akhundov, the great academic, playwright and publisher. 

Currently there are 25 sections and 26 sectors at the National Library. 4 million 513 thousand publishing materials are covered maintenance in the fund of the library. 

It is not fortuitous that Haydar Aliev, the famous leader, estimating the science and the culture highly.

The President of our country visited our library 4 times (July 06, 1995; March 04, 1996; 5-20 November 1997) and presented more than 100 books from his personal fund.

Library

In 2004, according to the order of the Cabinet of Ministers the Library has been awarded the status of “National Library”, so that is the very high estimation for its activity. 

The National Library is realizing state policy in the field of library, collecting and preserving the national publication.

The plays by the Azerbaijani authors and the literature about Azerbaijan are published abroad.

There is much improvement on activities of some departments of national library last years.

Since 2005 the specialized department of the foreign literature has started to carry out the international books exchanging, and got relations with 60 more countries of the world. 

As a result of these works, the materials and manuals, prepared by the National Library are placed at the site of the library and before the publishing are issued for using by the employees. 

Today there are not any places where there would not be used computers and the other information technologies. The National Library named after M.F.Akhundov created the Internet hall in 2000. It was opened the training centre at the library. 

National

Since 2003 the National Library has started to introduce the automated system of management. With this purpose it was used the VTLS-Virtua.

The program providing of system was realized by VTLS Cooperation of the USA-organization working special automated programs for libraries. 

It started by copying of electron version of book fund –the texts of books to the memory and of the computer with the electron catalogue. 

According to the application of the information-communication technological to library work it was opened following new departments at the National Library in 2006.  

• Automation and information technologies of library work;
• Electronic-information services;
• Creation of the electron resources;
• Educating and training centre of the library employees.

In 2005, the National Library became the member of the International Organization of the European National Libraries Conference. Azerbaijan was the second country after Russia to become a member of this organization among the post-soviet countries.

This organization unites 54 libraries of the Europe. Uniting in the unique system of the European libraries gives possibilities to create the all-European electron catalogue.