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The National Library of Serbia performs the function of a central and parent library. It is also a repository for copies of publications submitted as legal deposits. It is a significant, modern, dynamic and networked institution, both in terms of practices related to how library materials are collected, processed, stored and made available to users and contemporary tools used for promotional activities and user communication.
Being one of the key institutions involved in cultural heritage protection in the country, the NBS builds on an almost two-century-long tradition of Serbian and European librarianship. Its activities are based on the continuous development of knowledge and skills, as well as the application of modern technologies in terms of material preservation, processing and availability.
Considering the fast-paced development of librarianship and information technology and vastly diverse user needs, the National Library of Serbia is dedicated to developing traditional activities related to storage, processing, availability and enrichment of the materials while relying on modern technical and technological solutions.
The NBS development vision is based around strengthening its fundamental operations, with special emphasis on:
Providing complete and unrestricted access to materials in both the original and digitised form;
Supporting the academic and scientific community in research to further social and economic progress;
Integrating and supporting the system of education;
Active participation in the democratization of society by providing equal rights to each individual in terms of access to knowledge and information;
Boosting a reading culture and cultural needs by enriching the offer of content related to culture and art.
In the coming period, the National Library of Serbia will aim to simplify and further the development of access to cultural heritage and strengthen the capacities in the area of digitisation.
Digitisation enables easier access to the materials and is of key importance for cultural heritage protection but it also brings about various new challenges.
Despite the challenges, the mixture of the conventional and the virtual also gives rise to new opportunities to improve the practices and results.
Starting from the fundamental and legally defined tasks, including the practices of systematic collecting, processing and storing of the materials, as well as making them available to the public, the NBS bases its development strategy on the continuous and well-balanced improvement of all four fundamental work aspects.
Since the National Library of Serbia is at the top of the pyramid of public and specialised libraries in Serbia, it is committed to maintaining fruitful cooperation with other cultural institutions and leading institutions in the area of science, education and art.
The National Library of Serbia is dedicated to strengthening international cooperation in various ways (it takes part in international library organisations and/or projects, exchanges publications and experts, etc.).
The Expert Council, an advisory body composed of the leading NBS experts, is dedicated to the perpetual and balanced development of knowledge and skills.
A special accent should be placed on the modernisation of storage and preservation practices applied for the greatest collections of movable cultural heritage in the country and the entire region. Mobile shelves for the best use of limited space, modern equipment and protective devices, as well as external and war depots are crucial in the efforts to secure the collections.
The National Library of Serbia counts on continuous community support (both local and nationwide), but it also undertakes various independent activities to boost its resources.
The NBS Foundation (established in 2012) greatly contributes to strengthening the financial and overall stability of the institution, which is a precondition for its continuous development.
The NBS is a multifunctional institution harbouring culture, science, education and art. It is one of the most significant institutions in the country. It provides complete, equal and unrestricted access to knowledge and information thereby giving a strong contribution to democratisation and affirmation of multinational, multicultural and multiconfessional society.
Considering numerous challenges lying ahead, further development of the library is based on the coordinated and comprehensive development of its capacities.
The library’s long history and strong ties with the community mean that it has and will continue to share its destiny and contribute to the development of culture, education, science and art in the country and beyond.
The National Library of Serbia is among the most important symbols of Serbia. It was founded three years before the proclamation of the first constitution (Sretenje), in times of the struggle for liberation from the Ottoman Empire (1832). Therefore, it had an undeniable role in the establishment of a democratic society at the beginning of the XXI century.
Throughout history, the National Library of Serbia has always used all the available resources to further the overall development of the country and the region, and it will continue to do so in the forthcoming years.
