The National Library of Tajikistan named after Abulqosim Firdavsi was founded in 1933 on the basis of the city library and in 1934 was named after Abulqosim Firdavsi in honor of the 1000th anniversary of the prominent poet and writer. During the Soviet period, the library had more than 3 million copies of rare books and manuscripts in different languages that were collected and made available to readers.
In 1993, the library gained the national status. The library has 3 million 326 thousand 300 copies of rare books and manuscripts, which are used by more than 35,000 regular readers. The National Library of the Republic of Tajikistan named after Abulqosim Firdavsi has made a significant contribution to the collection, preservation and study of the unique written monuments of the Tajik nation, scientific and literary manuscripts dating back thousands of years.
Depending on the available opportunities, today the National Library has created favorable conditions for readers. For example, the Library has contributed to the compiling of an electronic catalog, making more than 50 thousand of newly published books available to readers. Since April 2004, a new modular service point for students has been established in the library, which has more than 15 thousand newly published subject books and is used by many readers.
In September 2006, a new electronic reading hall was founded, which has more than 115 thousand copies of electronic publications. This hall is equipped with modern technology: 25 computers, 5 scanners, 3 printers, 3 copy machines and is connected to the World Wide Web – Internet. Internet access is free of charge for all readers.
The construction of the new building of the National Library of Tajikistan had started in 2007 and cost less than $40 million USD. The total area of the library is about 45 thousand m2; it consists of 40 reading rooms, 22 storage facilities for more than 10 million copies of books and other information documents, as well as conference halls and a printing room. The new building is 167 meters long and 52 meters high and consists of four parts. Part “A” consists of 9 floors with a basement, part “B” and “C” consists of 6 floors with a basement, part “D” consists of 4 floors with a kitchen. The total area of the library is 44 thousand 78 m2.
In 2012, the National Library of Tajikistan, the largest in Central Asia, was built and put into operation in Dushanbe. The fund of the National Library of Tajikistan is more than 6 million copies of books. In particular, more than 3 million copies belong to the fund of the State Library named after Abulqosim Firdavsi, and the rest is the contribution of the population of Tajikistan, public and private institutions and international organizations.
