National Library of Senegal Bibliothèque nationale du Sénégal

Overview

The National Library of Senegal (French: Bibliothèque nationale du Sénégal) is the national library of the Republic of Senegal, located in Dakar. It is administered under the Direction des Archives du Sénégal, part of the Secrétariat général du Gouvernement. The library's executive director is Dr. Mohamed Lat Sack Diop, who also serves as Director of the Archives of Senegal.

History and Founding

The library traces its institutional origins to the 1913 library of the Gouvernement Général de l'Afrique Occidentale Française, created alongside the colonial archives depot. The current National Library of Senegal was formally established in 2002 as a distinct national institution. It is located on Avenue Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar.

Collections and Holdings

The National Library of Senegal collects and preserves published works relating to Senegal and West Africa, including monographs, periodicals, official publications, and reference materials. It maintains a documentation centre established in 1962 to meet the information needs of the administration and the public. The library functions as a legal deposit institution and issues national bibliographic records.

Access and Usage

The library is open to the public Monday through Friday from 09:00 to 16:00 or 17:00, and operates as a public reference library serving researchers, students, and administrators. It is situated near the intersection of Boulevard de la République in Dakar-Plateau.