National Library of Zimbabwe, National library in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

The National Library of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo holds government records, books, and information materials from various subject areas. The facility provides public access to reference works and reports about local communities.

The National Free Library Service, headquartered in Bulawayo, was set up in 1943 after the Carnegie Corporation funded the Bulawayo Public Library in 1939. The National Library and Documentation Service Act of 1985 created the NLDS and made the Bulawayo library part of it, based in Harare. Bulawayo also holds Zimbabwe's oldest public library, opened in 1896.

The library houses works by Zimbabwean authors and records that show how the nation has developed over time. Visitors can explore books and documents here that keep local stories and traditions alive.

The library sits in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city, and serves as both a national public library and the national interlibrary lending centre. It became part of the National Library and Documentation Service (NLDS) under the 1985 Act, with the service headquartered in Harare. The oldest public library in the country, the Bulawayo Public Library, opened in 1896 and is also based in the city.

The National Free Library Service, set up in Bulawayo in 1943, was the forerunner of today's institution; its independent status ended with the 1985 NLDS Act, when the Bulawayo library became part of the NLDS based in Harare. The city also holds Zimbabwe's oldest public library, the Bulawayo Public Library, opened in 1896.