Slovene National and Study Library in Trieste

Contact

Narodna in študijska knjižnica Trst

Ul. S. Francesco 20, IT-34123 Trieste-Trst

http://www.nsk-trst.sik.si/index.html

bibslo@spin.it

Phone39 04 063 5629

CountryITALY

The Slovene National Study Library in Trieste (NŠK) is the main public library of the Slovene community in Italy and was officially established in 1947. Today, the National and Study Library is comprised of two additional departments: the History Department (established in 1951, based in Trieste) and Slovene People's Library Damir Feigel (established in 1989, based in Gorizia).

History in brief

The vibrant history of Slovene and Slavic cultural activity in Trieste dates back to the pre-war period of the 19th Century. The first Slavic National Reading Room in Trieste was established in 1861, other cultural institutions and societies in the city and it's rural region followed soon after: Slovene Permanent Theatre in Trieste was established in 1902. The development of libraries and worker's organisations was interrupted by the First World War and later the sociocultural life in Trieste was demolished in the year 1920 by Fascist commandos when they burnt the Slav National House to ashes.

In 1973, the Socialist Republic of Slovenia conferred the Library the right to receive a deposit copy of every publication printed in Slovenia. Between 1991-2000, the Library was funded by the Italian State subsidies, from 2001 it is funded by the Slovene community in Italy.

Library fond

The Library fond consists of more than 100,000 units and more than 500 titles of Slovene periodical press. The purchase priority are books in the field of Slovene literature and humanities, also juridical and economy study literature.

The Library has two reading rooms: one named after the Slovene writer Fran Levstik for ready reference literature, the latest Slovene and Italian periodical press, children's corner and equipped with computers for the visitors; the other is named after writer Primož Trubar and is equipped with 24 units for individual study. Occasionally, the Library serves as an exhibition venue for art and literature presentations. The latest exhibition was dedicated to the poet Miroslav Košuta.

Since 1998, the Library is a part of COBISS - Slovene Virtual Library database.

See also

• COBISS - Slovene Virtual Library

External links

• Slovene National Study Library in Trieste website (in Slovenian, Italian and English)
• Article about Slovene bookstore and National Study Library in Primorske novice newspaper (in Slovenian)