National Library of Serbia, National library in Skerliceva Street, Belgrade, Serbia.
The National Library of Serbia sits on Skerlićeva Street in Belgrade and serves as the country's main public library, holding books, journals, newspapers, maps, and music recordings. The building, completed in 1973, houses both printed and digital collections under one roof.
The library was founded in 1832, making it one of Serbia's oldest institutions of its kind. Much of its collection was lost during World War II bombing raids, which led to the construction of the current building, opened in 1973.
Since 2002 the library marks 28 February as its day, the date in 1832 when Dimitrije Davidović wrote to Prince Miloš about organising it; since 2013 that date is also the National Book Day. The manuscript collection holds the 13th-century Belgrade Parimejnik and the 1597 Cyrillic Rampacet Primer.
The building is wheelchair accessible and sits in a part of Belgrade that is easy to reach on foot or by public transport. It is worth checking opening times before your visit, as weekday and weekend hours differ.
The library holds a legal deposit collection, which means every book published in Serbia must be archived here by law. This system has been in place since the 19th century, making the collection a complete record of Serbian publishing history.
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