We sincerely welcome everyone who shares our joy on the occasion of a solemn opening of the new building of the National Library of Belarus …

About 3,5 years ago, on 1 November 2002, we all witnessed the beginning of a grandiose national building, in which took part all Belarusian people. During the whole term of the building, we felt a colossal support on the part of Belarusian people, industries and organizations.

National Library of Belarus, as a keeper of Belarusian people's cultural heritage, has a mission to collect, preserve and make available to users a universal collection of materials reflecting humanity's knowledge and, first of all, concerning Belarus and its national interests. Conception of the NLB's new building consists in safekeeping of unique, rich Library's collections, a real treasury of humanity civilization's wisdom. NLB today - is the main Belarusian library that meets all information needs of society.

New information technologies are a challenge for the National Library and for all Belarusian libraries. Librarians have to adapt to new conditions and methods of work, that are constantly changing. Both electronic resources and printed materials are our cultural heritage that we have to preserve and to pass to our descendants.

New National Library is to be considered as a modern information center, performing development and effective use of information resources. New National Library must become a reliable means, which will supply with information the whole society.

At users' dispose are put 19 reading rooms equipped with modern computers. The Library provides to users different services, both traditional and innovative, such as:

• search of information in remote databases and electronic catalogs;
• quick order and automated delivery of books and other materials from Library's stocks;
• internet-center;
• virtual reference service;
• interlibrary loan, and other services.

Our youngest visitors are welcome to a children's room, where they could cheerfully pass their time under care of pedagogues and psychologists.

National Library of Belarus will not only provide users with information services, it will also be a social and cultural center.

We invite you to visit our art galleries, book museum, and survey ground, where you could admire bird's-eye view of Minsk. Fitness-club and cafe-restaurant are waiting for visitors.

Librarians are conscious of their great responsibility: they all have to, in very short terms, learn to maintain this intellectual building, an excellent engineering construction and new automated library system.

The main Library's purpose is to integrate Belarus into international information, innovative and cultural systems, and to promote informatization of society.

On behalf of all NLB's librarians, I sincerely invite you to visit Belarusian treasury of knowledge. Besides that, I invite you to pay a virtual visit to the Library, by our internet-site www.nlb.by