Национальная библиотека Республики Карелия

More than 140 thousand people visit the National Library of Karelia every year and more than 1000 events for different population groups are organized at the library premises.

Founded on October 15, 1833, at the initiative of Governor Alexander Yakovlev, the library has always been supported by the government and loved by the people. Even during the years of upheaval, the library did not stop its work. Today, the National Library of Karelia is one of the most modern libraries in Russia, the largest and most high-tech library in the Republic of Karelia, and the leader of the library system of the region. It is not only a collection of books, but also the largest information center in the republic that combines education and culture.

On October 13, the National Library held a celebration of its anniversary. The celebration brought together library specialists, readers, cultural and educational workers of the region, and honored guests.

The library is constantly moving forward and responding to the challenges of the times. After the reconstruction of the main building in 2009-2017 supported by the Government of Karelia, the total reading area of the library doubled and a modern conference hall, meeting room, multimedia and computer rooms appeared in the library. And now it is an open space for communication, creativity and intellectual leisure. After the reconstruction, the number of visitors to the library doubled too. Today, the National Library has 38 thousands patrons, its book collection is more than 1.8 million publications, and its electronic catalogue contains over 5.8 million bibliographic records. The Children's Reading Center, the Karelian Center of Nicholas Roerich, the Regional Center of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library, and the Book Monuments Center are the divisions of the library.

The National Library of Karelia is actively promoting the social and cultural adaptation of people with disabilities. Recently, the library received a new equipment, for example, portable Braille touch screen designed for visually and hearing impaired users. It can be used to read documents and e-mails, to work with spreadsheets and to surf the web. The library organizes special personal training and group education for disabled children.

Another important part of library work is methodological, information and consulting activities. The project office of the Culture national project is also located in the National Library. Today, thanks to the project support, nine model libraries have been opened in Karelia.

At the ceremony, library workers received honorary awards for their professional achievements.