The National Library of Palestine is the central bank for the Palestinian people's culture, identity and memory, and the platform for their presence among nations and peoples.
It ‘s the responsible for collecting, depositing, preserving, publishing and promoting the national intellectual and cultural production in its various creative forms, written, printed, visual and audible, which were created by the Palestinians through the ages.
Vision
Reaching the Palestinian cultural intellectual production to a distinguished stature, to be recognized globally; officially and popularly.
Mission
The Palestinian intellectual and cultural production and heritage are a genuine living part of the human production that contributes to the development of global civilization which deserves special care and effective international protection.
Goals
- Collecting and preserving the Palestinian intellectual and cultural heritage, and codifying the principles of its documentation, dissemination and promotion.
- Making the Palestinian intellectual and cultural heritage accessible for the Palestinian people and all the peoples of the world to enjoy and benefit from it
- To be the main official source of information about the Palestinian heritage and identity, and the various forms of intellectual and cultural production.
Legal Framework
The National Library was established based on the decree issued by His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine No. (6) of 2019 on 5/6/2019 establishing the National Library
International Legal Framework
- International Institute for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
- The Universal Declaration of Education for All
- UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
- The Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its protocols
- The Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity
- UNESCO’s Declaration on the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage
- Charter of Libraries
Main Mandates
- Collecting and preserving the Palestinian intellectual and cultural heritage, and codifying the principles of its documentation, dissemination and promotion.
- Collecting and preserving rare manuscripts, images, heritage books, prints, paintings, Arab and international documents related primarily to Palestine and Arab and Islamic civilization.
- Acquire, treat, maintain and restore various forms of written, printed, visual, audio and electronic national heritage.
- Codify, develop and activate the legal deposit system.
- Develop a bibliography of the Palestinian intellectual and cultural production, circulate it and ensure updating and maintaining compliance with it.
- Develop and circulate standardized indexing systems and controlling compliance with them.
- Collecting, translating, preserving and promoting international (foreign) intellectual and cultural productions related to Palestine.
- Develop public policies for Palestinian libraries’ work, integration and cooperation.
- Regulate the relationship with official international entities (countries, international entities and national libraries).
- Regulate the relationship with civil and popular entities locally and internationally.