The Gambia National Library
Gambia National Library Service Authority is located in Banjul, The Gambia on Reg Pye Lane, the road leading to Tobacco Road. The library was originally operated by the British Council till 1946 and was renamed the National Library of The Gambia in 1971. The National Library was gift from Britain to the people of the Gambia and was open by his excellency the President Sir Dawda Kariba Jawara in December 1976. The library is maintained and administered by The Gambia National Library Services Authority. As of 2016, the library had a collection of 115,500 books and 85 periodicals. It had more than 42 staff and more than 276 members.
The Gambia National Library was previous operating two branch libraries, one in Brikama and the other one in Basse. The branch in Brikama is located near the Governor's office in Brikama whilst the branch in Basse was permanently closed.
The library was also made the official recorder of legal depository and principal Bibliographic Centre of the nation. Around 2,000 archived materials are stored in the library, which caters mainly to The Gambia and its history. The library is divided into sections, the reference library, adult lending unit, the children's library, periodicals and the Bibliographic unit also known as Gambiana. This made the Gambia National Library Service Authority both a National and a public library. The library was offering bulk school lending service, mobile and mailbox until the early 2000s when the only mobile library vehicle broke down. In 2024 the National library was donated with a new digital center by the friends of the Gambia National library in order to introduce cording system to the youngsters who are interested in computer programming.
History
Library services started in the Gambia in 1944, with Bishop Daly’s subscription library. The library was opened to a few members of the public. Later on, the British Council opened a Library in 1946, at Independence Drive. The British Council handed over the Library to the Gambia Government, and the present library structure was opened on 15 December 1976, by former President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. When the transfer took place, the library had a collection of 25,000 books and 500 monographs. Sally Njie was appointed Chief Librarian in 1963. The British Government donated £575,000 to The Gambia for maintaining the library in 1974. The library is maintained and administered by The Gambia National Library Services Authority. During the 1970s, the collections in the library was nearly doubled. The Gambia National Library Services Authority was established in 2009 by an Act of parliament, which gave more powers and autonomy to the library. Book Aid International is an overseas partner of the library, in collaboration with whom, the library donated books to the medical branch of University of Gambia. The library acquires all its collections through donations, gifts, purchases, government agencies and survey.According to the United Nations, as of 2013 an estimated 41 percent of adult Gambians are literate.
Vision
An inspiring beacon of life-long learning aimed at bringing knowledge alive, lighting up the imagination, and creating possibilities for a vibrant and creative nation.- Digital Transformation - Expanding digital collection, e-learning platforms, and online access to resources.
- Community Engagement - Strengthening outreach programs to promote literacy, education, and indigenous knowledge preservation.
- Capacity Buildings - Training library professionals, supporting research, and developing innovative library services.
- Lifelong Learning - supporting personal, education, and professional growth across all ages.
- Inclusivity and Equity - welcoming and serving diverse population and services that meet their unique needs.
Mission