The Guinea National Library (''Bibliothèque Nationale de Guinée'') is the national library of

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

, located in the capital city of

Conakry Conakry (; ; sus, Kɔnakiri; N’ko: ߞߐߣߊߞߙߌ߫, Fula: ''Konaakiri'' 𞤑𞤮𞤲𞤢𞥄𞤳𞤭𞤪𞤭) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its p ...

. The National Library was created the same year the country gained its independence: 1958. At that time, however, it was simply the renamed branch library in Conakry of the

Institut Français d’Afrique Noire IFAN (I.F.A.N., Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire or Fundamental Institute of Black Africa) is a cultural and scientific institute in the nations of the former French West Africa. Founded in Dakar, Senegal in 1938 as the Institut français d� ...

. It did not receive much government support, but "by 1961 it had a trained librarian (the only one in the country), new and trainable personnel, and money appropriated by the government." By the end of 1967, its resources included 11,000 volumes and 300 current periodicals, plus whatever it had obtained from "transfers, purchases, and gifts." The following year saw a move to a smaller and older building, but in a more central location, and a new French-trained Guinean librarian. However, both trained librarians were promoted and transferred elsewhere, and the budget dwindled. Finally, in 1985, the library had to get by on donations alone. In 1986, the library was shut down, one of the victims of governmental economy measures that also saw the dismissal of 45,000 civil servants. Around this time, the collection contained over 40,000, perhaps an estimated 60,000, volumes, but they were scattered around wherever there was storage space, including the basement of the '' Palais du Peuple'' and buildings belonging to the now defunct ''Imprimérie Patrice Lumumba'', Guinea's premier printing press. Most of the staff sought employment elsewhere. Dr Cheick Sylla Baba has been the Director General of the National Library since 1998. He has fought for the library in the face of decades of government indifference. The library currently has its own building in the museum complex in the Sandervalia quarter of Conakry. In March 2015, the first stone was laid for a new building to house the library near the

Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry (in French ''L'Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry'', UGANC), is the largest university in Guinea and located in Dixinn Commune, Conakry, Guinea. The name is generally shortened to the University o ...

. In its collection is a complete set of 159

vinyl recording A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near ...

s of the Syliphone record label, which was set up by Guinea to support the

Music of Guinea Guinea is a West African nation, composed of several ethnic groups. Among its most widely known musicians is Mory Kanté - ''10 Cola Nuts'' saw major mainstream success in both Guinea and Mali while "Yeke Yeke", a single from ''Mory Kanté à Pa ...

and its native artists. According to the United Nations, as of 2014 approximately 32 percent of adult Guineans can read.

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Bibliography

* * (Includes information about the national library) {{Authority control Libraries in Guinea

Buildings and structures in Conakry Libraries established in 1958 1958 establishments in Guinea

See also

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