Bibliothèque nationale du Burkina Faso National Library of Burkina Faso

Overview

The Bibliothèque nationale du Burkina Faso (National Library of Burkina Faso) is the national library of Burkina Faso, located in Ouagadougou, the country's capital. It is administered under the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism and serves as the principal repository for Burkina Faso's published and documentary national heritage.

History and Founding

The National Library of Burkina Faso was founded in 1996, following the country's transition to multiparty democracy in 1991. It was established to consolidate and develop national library services that had previously been fragmented across various government departments. The institution is responsible for collecting legal deposit publications from Burkina Faso and maintaining the national bibliography.

Collections and Holdings

The library's collections include books, periodicals, official government publications, newspapers, and other materials published in Burkina Faso. The collections document Burkinabè political, cultural, social, and economic history. The library also holds materials on the broader West African region. As the legal deposit institution, it receives copies of all publications produced in Burkina Faso, providing a comprehensive record of the country's publishing output.

Access and Usage

The Bibliothèque nationale is open to researchers and the general public in Ouagadougou. Information about services and collections is available through the Ministry of Culture's official website. The library supports reading promotion and cultural heritage preservation programmes across the country.