The Library That Has the Past and the Future : National and Universitiy Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1945-2009)

Abstract

National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a library with two lives. During its 64-years existence it was born two times, but it was never dead. It was born for the first time after The World War II, and for the second time, after it had been incinerated by the aggressor, it has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. Since its establishment in 1945 National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NULB&H) has been continually functioning although it was exposed to artillery attack in 1992. The review of all stages of library development in the course of 64 years, through which it has succeeded in achieving significant results in spite of difficult war and postwar circumstances, is presented in this paper. Owing to the rescue and preservation of its most valuable collections which represent the foundation of every national library – the collections of rare books and manuscripts – NULB&H continues its mission as respectable national information center.