National Library of Latvia, Riga

National Library of Latvia – Under Management of Latvian Ministry of Culture

National Library of Latvia, a national cultural organization is under the management of the Latvian Ministry of Culture acting in agreement with the law `on the Latvian National Library’ and the other laws and regulation is agreed by the Cabinet. It was designed in 1919 after the Republic of Latvia had received its independence and was announced in 1918. The first administrator of the Library had been Janis Misins, a librarian as well as the founder of the Latvian scientific bibliography. Presently the Library tends to have a significant role in the expansion of the information society of Latvia, offering internet access to residents together with support in research and lifelong education.

The new library building is said to accommodate a modern information centre with abundant of space for social and cultural occasions, providing for all, multi-themed reading rooms as well as access to rare books together with audio/video recordings besides the usual printed matter. It is open to the general community for the purpose of viewing the Latvian, - Dainu skapis, and the chest of drawers of file cabinet comprising of thousands of Latvian folk verse, the wise and witty dainas. A cabinet which has been recognised by UNESCO of having global significance is on the register for the programme known as World Memory.

Free & Inventive Usage of Cultural/Scientific Heritage of Latvia

Its mission is to encourage free and inventive usage of the cultural and scientific heritage of Latvia in order to nurture education, research and development of knowledge together with the quality of life. The Library tends to collaborate with several other libraries, institutions and organisations in Latvia as well as in the world with the purpose of sharing professional experience and knowledge.

A typical cornerstone of the Library that symbolises every national library is the development of national literature, its endless storage together with long-term access. The National Library is said to be a centre of theoretical research as well as practical studies of the activities of Latvian libraries and carries out the task of the centre of Latvia Interlibrary Loan, safeguards the library and the information service to the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, the Saeima. It also implements the standardisation of the branch. Its main apprehension, from the beginning has been the national bibliography and in 2000, the huge union catalogue - Ancient Prints in Latvian had received Spidola Prize and had been awarded `The Beautiful Book of the Year 99’.

Increase/Reserve National & International Literary Works

The library building has been active in establishing several exhibits, conferences and concerts. One will also find restaurant, café, Wi-Fi together with the most fabulous panoramic view of the Old Town. The plain objective of the latest structure is to increase and reserve the national as well as the international literary works, acquiring access for the general community. One will find more than four million units here which are generally of Latvian publication related to Latvia and Latvians.

The outstanding edifice which was opened in August of 2014 is the masterpiece of Gunars Bikerts, the world-renowned Latvian-American architect. The Library also comprises of various collections of posters from artists like Oskars Steinbergs, Sigismuds Vidbergs, Raoul Dufy, Bernhard Borcherts, Niklavs Strunke and several others.