Books, periodicals, manuscripts, maps, audiovisual materials, photographs, and other documents related to Mali and its history, language, culture, and people
The National Library of Mali (French: Direction nationale des Bibliothèques et de la Documentation) is located in Bamako, Mali.[1][2]
In 1938, the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire (IFAN) was established to study the language, history, and culture of the peoples under French colonial rule in Africa.[1] Following Mali's 1960 independence, in 1962 the IFAN Centre in Bamako was renamed by the Mali government the Institut des Sciences Humaines (Institute of Human Sciences)[3][4] or the Mali Institute for the Study of the Humanities.[1] The collections of Mali's National Library, National Archives and National Museum would eventually all be inherited from IFAN.[3] On 29 February 1968, the library was transferred from Koulouba to Avenue Kasse Keita in Ouolofobougou, a section of Bamako.[1] A 17 March 1984 law created the National Library.[1]
It is headed by the Director, who is appointed by the National Director of Arts and Culture.[1] The former selects five sections chiefs who are each responsible for one of the library's divisions: Cataloging and Bibliography Division; Periodical and Document Division; Loan and Information Division; Acquisitions, Processing, and Legal Deposit Division; and Binding and Restoration Division.[1] As of 1989, the library staff numbered 28, 16 women and 12 men.[1]
Books and periodicals are available free to the public for in-house viewing, though borrowing privileges may be obtained by becoming a registered cardholder.[1] According to the United Nations, as of 2015 approximately 33 percent of adult Malians can read.[5]
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