Special Guest: The National Library of Armenia
Presentation Title: As a Repository of Printed and Digital Heritage
We are honored to welcome the National Library of Armenia, the world’s largest repository of Armenian printed heritage. As a leading scientific, cultural, and information institution, the Library plays a crucial role in the collection, preservation, and dissemination of Armenian cultural heritage.
Since 2012, the Library has digitized over 15 million pages, making its vast collections accessible to a global audience. Among its most important achievements are the creation of several key digital databases, including:
- The Armenian Book Database, covering Armenian-language publications from 1512 to the present, printed in various locations worldwide.
- The Armenian Continuing Resources Database, cataloguing Armenian periodicals from 1794 onward.
In 2017, the Library opened the region’s only Museum of Printing, a unique space dedicated to the 510-year history of Armenian print culture. Through six thematic halls, the museum traces the journey from ancient inscriptions to diaspora publishing and modern innovations. Notably, the first Armenian book was printed in Venice in 1512 by Hakob Meghapart, just 57 years after Gutenberg’s invention—highlighting the early embrace of print by Armenian communities abroad due to historical challenges in establishing printing houses in the homeland.
The museum showcases rare books, antique printing presses, interactive holograms, and a Virtual Reality (VR) program that guides visitors through historical Armenian printing centers. It has also launched audio guides in multiple languages on the izi.travel platform and became a proud member of the Association of European Printing Museums (AEPM) in 2018.
In collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, the Library also launched the online exhibition “Pioneers of Armenian Printing”, further reinforcing its commitment to digital outreach and non-formal education through state-of-the-art technologies.
