Country Cape Verde Location Praia Legal deposit yes Address Praia, Cape Verde Founded 1999 | Established 1999 Items collected 30,000 books Director Dr. Joaquim Morais Phone +238 261 84 13 | |
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Hours Closed now Tuesday8AM–6:30PMWednesday8AM–6:30PMThursday8AM–6:30PMFriday8AM–6:30PMSaturday10AM–3PMSundayClosedMonday8AM–6:30PMSuggest an edit Similar Praia City Hall, NOSi, Embaixada de Brasil, Portugal Embassy, Pestana Trópico | ||
The National Library of Cape Verde (Portuguese: Instituto da Biblioteca Nacional e do Livro) is located in Praia, Cape Verde in the middle of the neighborhood of Várzea. The library opened in 1999. The library maintains the National Bibliography, contains the country's historical archives and the theses and dissertation bank and is a legal deposit. It also serves as the public library of Praia, the country's capital.
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Other landmarks and features
Other landmarks surrounding the national library is Estádio da Várzea opposite Rua da Várzea, north is the statue of Amílcar Cabral erected when the library was built. East of the library is Avenida Machado Santos which forms the boundary with the Plateau and the National Auditorium (Auditório Nacional) to the west first constructed in 2014 and finished in around 2016.
History
Before the national library opened, the first of two libraries first opened in the late 19th century during the colonial era, they were the National Library and Museum (Biblioteca e Museu Nacional) in Praia and the Mindelo Municipal Library (Biblioteca municipal do Mindelo) first opened in 1880.
After the country became independent in 1975, more libraries opened in the 1980s, between these, the libraries of the National Assembly of Cape Verde, the Bank of Cape Verde and other ministries, Biblioteca Municipal Jorge Barbosa in Palmeira on Sal Island and other institutions
In 1996, the RBL or the Rede Bibliográfica da Lusofonia, the Lusophony Library Network started which was done by the Portuguese cooperation and PALOP (or the Lusophony Nations). Cape Verdean libraries benefitted the assigned protocol that included collections that came equipped and changed the physical structures and programs and the creation of librarians.
The restructuring of the cultural sector started in 1997 between Cape Verde including the Cape Verdean Book Institute ( Instituto Cabo-verdiano do Livro) that no longer existed from December 1997, the National Library was created in 1999.
Projects
In 2001, the library established the Institute of the National Library and the Book which aims to promote literacy, particularly among children and young adults. The project also works to disperse texts throughout the country and support national authors.
The library also has a partnership with the country's municipal libraries to create National Network Public Libraries, a national bibliographic digital database and online public access catalog.