Editing National library (section)

{{Short description|Library specifically established by the government}}
{{For|the list|List of national and state libraries}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
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| image1            = British library london.jpg
| caption1          = [[British Library]] in London
| image2            = Biblioteca Nazionale Firenze 2008.jpg
| caption2          = Italian [[National Central Library (Florence)|National Central Library]] in Florence
| image3            = Biblioteca nacional 1.JPG
| caption3          = The [[Biblioteca Nacional de Chile]] or The National Library of Chile in [[Santiago]], [[Chile]]
| image4            = Biblioteca nacional rio janeiro.jpg
| caption4          = The [[National Library of Brazil]] is the largest library in Latin America.
| image5            = Thomas Jefferson Building Aerial by Carol M. Highsmith.jpg
| caption5          = The [[Thomas Jefferson Building]] of the [[Library of Congress]] in Washington, DC
}}
A '''national library''' is a [[library]] established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information.<ref>Krummel, D. W. “Guides to National Bibliographies: A Review Essay.” ''Libraries & Culture'' 24, no. 2 (1989): 217–30.</ref> Unlike [[public library|public libraries]], these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, or significant works. A national library is that library which has the duty of collecting and preserving the literature of the nation within and outside the country. Thus, national libraries are those libraries whose community is the nation at large. Examples include the [[British Library]] in London, and the {{lang|fr|[[Bibliothèque nationale de France]]|italic=no}} in Paris.<ref name="Line, Maurice B. 2011 pp. 317">Line, Maurice B.; Line, J. (2011). "Concluding notes". ''National libraries'', Aslib, pp. 317–318</ref><ref name="ifla.org">Lor, P. J.; Sonnekus, E. A. S. (2010). [http://www.ifla.org/VII/s1/gnl/index.htm "Guidelines for Legislation for National Library Services"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813200532/http://www.ifla.org/VII/s1/gnl/index.htm |date=13 August 2006 }}, [[International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions|IFLA]]. Retrieved on 10 January 2010.</ref>

There are wider definitions of a national library which put less emphasis on the repository character.<ref name="Line, Maurice B. 2011 pp. 317"/><ref name="ifla.org"/>

National libraries are usually notable for their size, compared to those of the other libraries in the same country. Some subnational states that wish to preserve their particular cultures have established comparable libraries with all the attributes of national libraries, such as with [[legal deposit]].

Many national libraries cooperate within the National Libraries Section of the [[International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions]] (IFLA) to discuss their common tasks, define and promote common standards and carry out projects helping them to fulfill their duties. National libraries of Europe participate in [[The European Library]]. This is a service of The Conference of European National Librarians (CENL).