Slovak Library Association (SAK)

The Slovak Library Association is an independent, voluntary association of libraries with the status of a public interest organisation. In the current conditions of the transformation and development of society, when libraries face up to many problems, co-operation is of the utmost importance. Consequently the three largest Slovak libraries – the Slovak National Library (SNK) in Martin, the former Slovak Technical Library in Bratislava (now the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information) and the University Library in Bratislava established the Slovak Libraries Association (SLA) in October 1992 as an interest association of legal entities. Since that time many other libraries, lacking effective co-operation, co-ordination, and non-formal support, have also joined the founders, and today the SLA comprises 30 scientific and academic libraries, 42 county, regional, municipal libraries and 11 special libraries.

The Association subsidises its activities through receipt of member fees, public subsidies and grants, incomes, donations, and contributions of institutions and private persons.

The Association is an Associate Member of the European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations (EBLIDA).

One of the Association´s most important activities is a promotional event aimed at libraries and their services named the Week of the Slovak Libraries (WSL). WSL gives an opportunity to intensify mass media promotion of library activities and to provide the general public with information about it.

The Association issues the following publication: