About library

                                                       National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan

History of the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NAB RK) is closely related to formation of the new capital as an intellectual centre of Kazakhstan. Before opening NAB RK, the President of our country emphasized that new library will enable to create a model of modern digital and virtual storage. By his own participation and interest in NAB RK establishment, the head of our state defined a high purpose of the library as bearer of knowledge in Kazakhstan, and its significant role in educational process.

State institution “National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan” in Astana city was founded by Governmental order as of April 23, 2004, numbered 461. The main objective is further development of information, educational and cultural infrastructure of the capital.

On June 10, 2004, an official opening of NAB RK by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev N.A. with the participation of the guest of honour, Mayor of Moscow - Luzhkov Yu.M, took place. On 23 April, 2005, the Board of Trustees under chairmanship of National writer of Kazakhstan Kekilbaev A.K, was set up. On September 10, 2005, the library received first readers. Berdigalieva Roza Amangalievna, Kandidat of Historical Sciences, Professor, Honored Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President of Library Association of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has been appointed as the first Director General of NAB RK. Since May 2009, NAB RK has been headed by Otarbayev Rakhimzhan Kasymgalievich, well-known writer-playwright, Honoured Figure of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

NAB RK is a modern five-storey building with total area of 15000 sq.m. It is a new model of multimedia library which works with electronic information, renders various electronic services, introduces the newest computer technologies. According to the “Concept of NAB RK Development”, the key resource is electronic information, and priority direction is development of paperless technology.

At readers' disposal, there are such modern reading rooms as Electronic Catalogues Room, Electronic Resources Room, Center of Information and Bibliographic Service, Electronic Reading Room on the Oil and Gas Industry, Reading Room on World Literature, Reading Room for Researchers, Reading Room for Disabled Readers with the most modern technological devices, and etc. Altogether, there are 17 rooms with 500 seats.

The library has a storage on 2.5 million books and a complex of servers allowing to store the electronic information in T-byte scale.

Book collection of NAB RK numbers more than 600 000 books. In addition to books, the library receives 1500 titles of domestic and foreign periodicals in state and other languages. More than 25000 readers enjoy the library services. A number of electronic services are rendered to readers of NAB RK: access to the remote full-text databases, search for information in electronic catalogues, opportunity to ask a librarian – virtual reference service; granting (producing and electronic delivery) fragments of electronic copies of documents from NAB RK collections, preliminary on-line orders to reading rooms a few days before, distance join a library, etc.

Developing intercultural cooperation and uniting capital communities the library became a site of dialogue, centre of tolerance, and place for conducting exhibitions, presentations, meetings, poetical parties, and art expositions.

For the period 2005-2009, about 500 various actions and events took place in NAB RK. Among striking events are International Congress of Reading “Reading Society Is Basis of the Competitive Country” under the aegis of UNESCO and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA); Republican Action “One Country - One Book” devoted to “Book of Words” by Abai (2007), story “Hard Times” by M.O. Auezov (2008), and poetry of M.Zhumabayev (2009); First Forum of Young Librarians of Kazakhstan; International Conference “Cultural Text of Astana”, Automobile Run “Library Salute to Astana” by route Astana-Karaganda-Stepnogorsk-Ekibastuz-Pavlodar; International Scientific series of lectures “MGU Scientists Present”.

NAB RK confidently takes position of the methodical Centre on introduction of automation and informatization for libraries of the country and carries out the analysis, forecasting and consulting in the field of introduction of new technologies in library processes in the republic. Since 2007, on the basis of the library, a project “Electronic State Library Fund - Kazakhstan National Electronic Library” (further – KazNEB) in the network of programme “Decrease of Information Inequality” has been implemented (www.kazneb.kz). In the KazNEB collection, there are electronic copies of rare editions from the collections of the National Library of RK in Almaty, Scientific Centre “Otyrar Kitapkhanasy” of the Eurasian National University by name of L.N.Gumilev, oblast and university libraries; all these editions are of historical and scientific importance. Books published in the frame of state programme “Cultural Heritage” became a significant acquisition source of KazNEB electronic collection. Books for digitization are received also from the authors who consider this act as a contribution to national electronic storage.

History of NAB RK totals only five years of hard work, but the concept of development, operational experience already causes big interest in the international library community. During five years our experts have accepted the invitation to participate in more than 40 international conferences, seminars where they presented reports telling about experience of formation of new library of Kazakhstan. We are proud to note that the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (IFLA/CDNL). Four specialists of the library are elected to IFLA governing bodies.

With the purpose of consolidating cooperation, Agreements on partnership with Russian State Library, National Libraries of Iran, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Georgia, National Parliament Library of Ukraine, Egyptian National Library and Archives, and Bibliotheca Alexandrina were signed.  

NAB RK actively cooperates with international, public and professional organizations: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), Library Association of Eurasia (BAE), International Library, Information and Analytical Centre, UNESCO, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP.

Together with these organizations and Embassies of countries in the Republic of Kazakhstan, there were developed and implemented the following projects: “Public Centre of Access to Legal Resources of Russia”, Centre of Studying of the Indian Culture, German Reading Room of Goethe Institute Almaty, Development Information Centre, Electronic Reading Room on the Oil and Gas Industry, Information Centre “Window on Korea”, American Corner.

Activity of NAB RK has been noted at the international level and reflected in ten best successful stories of world libraries in special IFLA project “Success Stories of Libraries Building the Information Society”, whose purpose is to give presentation about the libraries of the world which has brought the contribution to formation of information society. NAB RK is presented as an example of library's role in promoting information and digital literacy of the community.

Own NAB RK on-line projects: official site of NAB RK (http://nabrk.kz), official site of Library Association of the Republic of Kazakhstan (www.bark.kz), Librarians of Kazakhstan – (www.kazlib.nabrk.kz), site devoted to life and to creativity of great Kazakh poet and enlightener Abai Kunanbaev – “Abai Recognized by the World” (www.abay.nabrk.kz), site of the International Congress of Reading (www.congress.nabrk.kz). NAB RK web-server hosts the project “Open Digital Library on Human Rights” putting regularly legislative acts on human rights. This resource (www.hrc.nabrk.kz) is run by NAB RK staff in the network of co-operation with Commission on Human Rights under the President of RK.

Address: National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan

11 Dostyk Ave., Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan

Tel/fax: (717-2) 44-61-80 (Director's Office, info@nabrk.kz)

Tel.: (717-2) 44-61-78, 44-61-83 (Reference and Bibliographic Department)

Virtual help service: spravka@nabrk.kz

Electronic document delivery: edd@nabrk.kz

Sites: http://nabrk.kz, http://www.bark.kz/, http://www.congress.nabrk.kz