Cyprus Library Κυπριακή Βιβλιοθήκη

History and Founding

The origins of the Cyprus Library date to 1927, when the British Colonial Governor Sir Ronald Storrs initiated the establishment of the Cyprus Public Library after observing the lack of public library provision on the island. Books were brought from Britain to start the collection. The library operated under municipal control until 1954, then came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Culture through the Cyprus Public Library Law of 1968, at which point its collections were merged with those of the Ministry's Library. In 1974 the library was relocated to its original premises at the D'Avila Bastion of the Venetian walls of Nicosia. The Cyprus Library was formally constituted under a new law in 1987. In 2022 it moved under the newly established Deputy Ministry of Culture.

Collections and Holdings

The Cyprus Library holds over 178,000 volumes covering a broad range of subjects, with particular emphasis on the humanities, especially literature and the social sciences. Among its most prized items is Malta Illustrata (1647), the oldest work in the collection and the first book published in Malta. The library also holds 2,187 titles of periodicals and maintains research collections including Cypriot newspapers from 1883, official government publications, United Nations publications, music collections, and rare books. A digital library and the Cyprus Bibliography — both current and retrospective — are also maintained.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The Research Collections department holds Cypriot newspapers dating from 1883 to the present, providing an invaluable resource for the study of the development of the Cypriot press and public sphere. The library also administers the national ISSN registration centre for magazines and periodicals published in Cyprus.

Access and Usage

The Cyprus Library operates as both a national library and a public lending library, reflecting its historical dual role. It administers the national registration centers for ISBN, ISSN, and ISMN, collects UN publications, and works toward the creation of a union catalogue of materials in Cypriot libraries. It operates an interlibrary loan system with domestic and foreign institutions.