About Library Holdings

Library material is obtained through purchase, exchange, gifts and mostly by taking over library material together with the archival holdings. In 2020, the library had 25,965 books, 10,959 books of periodicals and 1,686 nonbook material (cartographic materials, posters, leaflets...).

The holdings that consist of books are mostly chronological, in connection with the archival holdings kept by the Archives (since 1918), and according to their topics they refer to:

• history and additional historical studies
• archival science
• politics
• economy
• law
• statistics
• education
• culture and art
• historical development of natural and applied sciences.

Until the end of 1996 the book fund was processed manually. The alphabetical and topical catalogues of books, alphabetical catalogue of handbooks and file for periodicals were formed. The automatic data processing started in early 1997. Two databases, Biblio and Press were formed.

The Biblio database contains the data (more than 14,500 units) about the new library fund and data on all periodicals in the library have been entered retroactively. Within this database, there are also papers in which holdings of the Archives of Yugoslavia have been quoted as well as the papers of the currently employed archival staff. COBISS.SR

The Press database contains data (more than 13,000 units) about the printed and other unconventional material contained within archival funds and collections, including books, brochures, press, geographical maps, photographs, architectural designs, posters, fliers, invitations, postcards, drawings, musical supplies and other published material other than books that is kept within archival holdings. Search database.

At the library, one may get bibliographic information about the works published in Yugoslavia, even if the library does not have them. Within the Archives' publishing activities, the library participates in the making of bibliographies and catalogues.