National Library Mostar

About the institution:

As an integral part of culture, librarianship has a long tradition in Mostar. When we talk about the beginnings of organized work on collecting and preserving books, it starts with the first decades of development of Mostar. As early as 1570, Mostar had its first public library. It was a modest library even for that time, but the fact is that it existed, that it was of a public type and that it served all those who were literate.

The fund of the first public library consisted of 7 bound Mushafs, 30 Koranic juzs bound in leather, several tafsirs (commentaries on the Koran) and a Dictionary.

The library quickly grew rich, and after a few years Karađozbeg had a kutubhana - a library next to the madrasa - built. This is how the first room intended only for the library was created. The library operated until 1934, when it was closed to the public, and in 1950, the remaining collection was transferred to Sarajevo, where it is still located today. In 1945, the National Library of Mostar began operating, as a logical continuation of the rich tradition of librarianship. The National Library was one of the largest and most equipped libraries in Herzegovina. "The book fund numbered 218,000 books and 14,000 volumes of periodicals. The fund was very rich and diverse, from encyclopedic editions to picture books. Due to the events of the war (1992-1995) in this area, the buildings, the complete book collection and the inventory were totally destroyed. Unfortunately, the war did not spare books either, they were shot at and libraries became military facilities. During the aggression in 1992, it is estimated that 20-251 TP3T of the book collection was destroyed, and during 1993, the remaining book collection was also destroyed.

Two sections of the National Library (children's and youth) as well as many schools and museums were completely destroyed. Ruins remained, and books, magazines, precious collections, everything that had been collected for decades, the testimony of a rich cultural heritage was destroyed. Despite all the adversities, the National Library started from scratch, because the need for the book was huge. In 1995, the Library was reorganized under the management of Sadeta Marić-Ćišić. The staff consisted of: Ćamila Džiho, Amela Demirović and assistant worker Fata Tabaković. The premises of the Library were located in the former "Zvijezda" cinema.

Since the Library has a very modest book collection, a book collection campaign was launched in cooperation with Radio Mostar, so that the response of the citizens of Mostar was great, and around 2,000 books were collected. All books have been expertly processed, entered into the inventory and made available to readers with classification in the catalog according to international standards. 02.03.1995. The Library was officially opened in the premises of the then "Zvijezda" cinema. Considering the large number of collected books, the space in the former lobby of the "Zvijezda" cinema is becoming extremely inadequate, and there is a need to adapt the destroyed building of the Children's Department at Maršala Tito 55, where the Children's Department of the National Library was located even before the aggression against our city. In the report number 01-21/97 dated February 25, 1997. in 1996, it was stated that the Library had fully realized its work plan in 1996. According to the report, a move was made from the temporary and non-conditional premises, which were owned by the "Zvijezda" cinema, to the newly adapted premises, owned by the National Library in Maršala Tita Street bb. The building, as well as the complete furniture, was financed by the European Union, the administration in Mostar. The contractor for the renovation of the building was the private company "Duraković" from Mostar.

The official opening of the National Library was on January 22, 1996. year. The library was opened by the then EU administrator in Mostar, Hans Koschnick, and the secretary of the Secretariat of Social Activities of Mostar, Nijaz Slipičević. The premises of the library, which bears the name Children's Library, also has the function of a modern city library. What was a brake in the solution to the problem of the expansion of the Mostar National Library was the lack of space, which made us unable to meet the needs of the institution and its users. The board of directors discussed the problem and adequate solutions were sought for the adaptation of the National Library building in Luka. 21.06.2006. In 2008, the renovated building of the Mostar National Library was officially opened in the Mostar settlement of Luka.

In fact, it was not only renovated, but received new contents and became a "temple of books" again. The National Library of Mostar continued, intensively over the years, to achieve success and become one of the most equipped libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina.