The National Library of Latvia

This year, the National Library of Latvia (NLL) is celebrating its centenary. Five years have passed since it was housed in a new, specially designed and constructed building. Two decades ago, we were focused on defining the functions of the new library project, the need for which had been defined 10 years after its founding, and design work had begun as early as 1989. Twenty years ago, it was concluded that the new library should be accessible to the public: to some extent public, to some extent academic. This was imposed by the fact that Riga has no metropolitan-type, central city libraries, but the University Library, also founded in 1919, had been destroyed twice, but now the university campus was being developed just 500 m from the NLL. The year 1999 saw the beginning of the digital era – the Library launched the National Digital Library programme. Ten years ago – in 2009 – the construction of the new building had already started. Questions about the implementation of its functions, in what was now a real setting, were at the forefront. It was necessary to plan not only the logistics of basic functions – of collection development, processing and access, but also the acquisition of robust technological equipment, the organisation of public space for various cultural and social events, and its adaptation to research and education purposes. No less important were infrastructural technical solutions – safety, microclimate, mobility, requirements for people with special needs, catering and so on. Particular attention was paid to the presence of high-quality art both inside and outside the Library. As a result, from 2014 the NLL started intensive operations in a completely unrestricted conference and exhibition centre (including a permanent, museum-type exhibition on publishing – Books in Latvia). At the same time, reading rooms with wide-ranging, open-access collections are located across eight levels. The millionth visitor to the building was welcomed as early as in 2017, but the number of registered readers has reached some 150,000, close to 8% of the country’s population, and the number of