National Library of Mali

The National Library of Mali (French: Direction nationale des Bibliothèques et de la Documentation) is a public library located in Bamako, Mali.

The National Library was first created by the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire, an arm of the French colonial government, in 1944. Following Mali's 1960 independence, this library became the Government Library; it would later be renamed again as the National Library of Mali. In 1968 the library was transferred from its initial home in Koulouba to Ouolofobougou, a section of Bamako.

A 1984 law defined the library's mission as:

• Acquiring, conserving, and diffusing of all current scholarship concerning all areas of human endeavor;
• Contributing, in its role as a depository of the national literature, to knowledge, preservation, and use of Malian cultural values;
• Participating with all organizations and public and private associations for the promotion of books in Mali.

The library holds more than 60,000 works, including books, periodicals, audio documents, videos, and software. These materials are available free to the public, though a small subscription fee is required for borrowing privileges. The library also hosts some of the exhibits for African Photography Encounters, a biannual Bamako photography festival.

References

• This article began as a translation of the corresponding article in the French Wikipedia, accessed 26 December 2005.

External links

• Direction nationale des Bibliothèques et de la Documentation (French language)