The National Library of Laos (
Lao language
Lao (Lao: , ), sometimes referred to as Laotian, is the official language of Laos and a significant language in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Spoken by over 3 million people in ...
: ຫໍສະໝຸດແຫ່ງຊາດ, romanized ''hosamud aehngsad'') is a library located in
Vientiane
Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...
,
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
. First established on 1 July 1956, it moved to its current location in 1988. The National Library plays an important role in preserving materials about Laos.
Since 1989, it has operated the Lao Ancient Manuscript Preservation Project which documents ancient text written in Lao and Sanskrit.
Starting in October 2007, the library has collaborated with the
University of Passau
The University of Passau (''Universität Passau'' in German) is a public research university located in Passau, Lower Bavaria, Germany. Founded in 1973, it is the youngest university in Bavaria and consequently has the most modern campus in the ...
and the
Berlin State Library
The Berlin State Library (; officially abbreviated as ''SBB'', colloquially ''Stabi'') is a universal library in Berlin, Germany, and a property of the German public cultural organization the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation ().
Founded in ...
(Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz) to create the Digital Library of Lao Manuscripts (ໂຄງການຫໍສະໝຸດດິຈິຕອລໜັງສືໃບລານລາວ). The government of the
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west an ...
has granted permission for the manuscript collection to be made accessible via the Internet.
A new national library was completed in 2017.
See also
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List of national libraries
A national library is established by the government of a nation to serve as the pre-eminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public libraries, they rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuab ...
References
External links
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{{coord, 17.9640, 102.6079, type:landmark_region:LA, display=title
Libraries in Laos
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
Libraries established in 1956