Ministry of Culture - Directorate of Literature, Books and Language

The Directorate of Literature, Books and Language incorporates Literature and Books and Language Departments.

In the field of Literature and Books it is responsible for (i) monitoring professional literary production and book culture issues and issues of arts institutions within the state authority; (ii) focusing on development trends in other countries and drawing up groundwork materials, analytical, conceptual and information materials of socially wide importance in the field of literature and book culture; (iii) processing opinions and analyses regarding suggestions and proposals given by individual organisations and professional and artistic associations as well as other entities in the field of literature and book culture; (iv) ensuring interlinking between cultural initiatives and activities proposed by partner organisations at home and abroad; (v) in co-operation with the International Co-operation Section submitting proposals and groundwork for international cultural agreements; (vi) participating in drafting proposals and suggestions for international co-operation; and (vii) co-operating in the preparation of foreign events of national importance and in the presentation of the entrusted scope of activity abroad.

In the field of Language it is responsible for (i) elaborating analytical, conceptual and informational materials in the field of protection, awareness and support of the development and use of national language; (ii) monitoring the level of, analysing and evaluating the language culture; (iii) caring for increasing the level of language skills in society and for strengthening the position of the Slovak language as the national language of the Slovak Republic; (iv) contributing to the implementation of state language policy and consolidating the position of Standard Slovak language as a means of public contact; (v) co-operating with the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), especially with Ľudovít Štúr Institute of Linguistics SAS, Bratislava and other linguistic Slovakistics departments as well as with other central state authorities; (vi) co-ordinating the activity of Terminology Committees regarding creation and institutionalisation of expert terminology; (vii) approving the standardisation of geographical names; (viii) assessing proposals for naming new municipalities and parts of municipalities; and (ix) handling citizens’ reactions regarding violations of State Language Law and providing expert opinion on state language issues.