The National and University Library in Zagreb opens its doors: NSK Days on February 18 and 19, ceremony on February 20

NSK marks Library Day and the 419th anniversary: Open Days on February 18 and 19, solemn celebration on February 20

The National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) is once again opening its doors this February to citizens, students, researchers, and everyone who wants to get a closer look at one of the key cultural and scientific institutions in Croatia. On the occasion of the National and University Library Day, which is traditionally celebrated on February 22, the Library has announced two-day Open Days on February 18 and 19, 2026, while the central ceremony is planned for Friday, February 20 at 1 p.m. This year’s celebration of Library Day is also linked to the 419th anniversary of the institution's existence, which the NSK describes as a central place for collecting and preserving written and printed cultural heritage and an important point of Croatian culture, science, and education.

Library Day is preceded by Open Days, designed as a “look behind the scenes” in which visitors, accompanied by professional guidance, can become acquainted with the spaces and parts of the heritage that are otherwise kept under stricter conditions. The NSK points out that this is an opportunity to see a cross-section of its work in one place: from collecting national publishing production and protecting rare material to the development of digital collections and services intended for users. Special emphasis in this year's program is placed on major historical, cultural, and artistic anniversaries, and thematic tours are focused on selected segments of special collections. The organizers are also announcing accompanying content, including educational and entertainment materials inspired by the Library's holdings, which further brings the event closer to the audience that otherwise knows the NSK only as a “house of reading” or a space for studying.

Why Library Day is linked to February 22 and the 1483 Missal

National and University Library Day is traditionally celebrated on February 22 in memory of the day when the first Croatian printed book Missal by the Law of the Roman Court (Misal po zakonu rimskoga dvora) was printed in 1483. According to the NSK, the Library keeps two copies of this incunabulum in its Manuscripts and Old Books Collection, and the digitized edition is available to the public through the NSK Digital Collections portal. In the same context, the symbolic link between the Missal and the identity of the institution is emphasized: the angular Glagolitic letter “Iže,” taken precisely from the Missal, was chosen for the Library's logo. In the announcement, the NSK also reminds that February 22 has been declared the Day of Croatian Glagolitic Script and Glagolitism, which further solidified the date as a cultural reference point.

In its announcement, the NSK emphasizes that the celebration of Library Day is an opportunity to present the Missal not only as a historical artifact but also as part of a wider story of Croatian literacy, identity, and the development of printing in Europe. The role of the national library in this story is not only the preservation of rarities but also the creation of access: digital collections allow content that is physically sensitive and rare to be seen without endangering the original. In this way, along with the classic storage and reading rooms, a “virtual” space is opened for pupils, students, teachers, and researchers. It is precisely this combination of protection and accessibility that is one of the themes often highlighted when talking about the modern role of national libraries in the 21st century.

419 years of the institution: from early academic beginnings to the national library

NSK Day also marks the 419th anniversary of the Library's existence. The Croatian Encyclopedia links the origin of today's institution to the library of the Jesuit College in Zagreb from 1607, from which an institution gradually developed that changed its status, name, and organizational role through various historical phases. Such continuity, with occasional interruptions and reorganizations, is reflected today in the fact that the NSK acts as the national library of the Republic of Croatia and the central library of the University of Zagreb. In practice, this means that, in addition to preserving heritage, it also performs functions directly related to academic life: support for scientific work, bibliographic and information services, and the availability of space and materials to users.

For Zagreb and the academic community, the NSK is also a spatially important stronghold. According to official information on the guided tours page, the building covers 44,432 square meters and has more than 130 kilometers of bookshelves, making it the largest library in Croatia. At the same time, such data are not just impressive statistics: behind them stands the logistics of housing, microclimatic conditions, protection from damage, and systematic processing of materials, which is especially evident in working with special collections. Open Days, according to the announcement, are designed precisely so that part of this otherwise “invisible” professional everyday life becomes more understandable to the general public, with explanations of how the holdings are preserved and how materials that are rare, sensitive, or unique are accessed.

Central celebration on February 20: awards, recognitions, and an overview of work in 2025

The central ceremony marking National and University Library Day will be held on Friday, February 20, 2026, at 1 p.m., as stated in the announcement on the Library's website. The program is designed as an overview of achievements in the previous year, highlighting projects and activities that marked the work of the NSK, from professional programs and exhibitions to the development of services and collections. According to the announcement, the NSK Awards and Recognitions for 2025 will be presented at the ceremony to prominent employees and collaborators. The Library had previously published a public call stating the categories of awards, including recognitions for contributions to the development of library activities, professional contribution to the work and promotion of the NSK, and fostering cooperation and partnerships. In such a framework, the awards also function as a message about the institution's priorities: expertise, excellence in work, and networking with partners inside and outside the library system.

In the cultural program, according to available information about the event announcement, a performance by classical guitarist Srđan Bulat is planned, who should present himself with a solo performance on a seven-string guitar handmade by master Želimir Sever. The inclusion of an artistic program in the ceremony further emphasizes the breadth of the institution's activities: the NSK is not only a service to the academic community but also a public cultural space where library collections, exhibition activities, educational content, and music meet. In this way, the organizers expand the framework of the celebration from a protocol event to a cultural event that can attract an audience outside the usual circle of library users.

Open Days on February 18 and 19: thematic tours through special collections

NSK Open Days will be held on February 18 and 19, 2026, and are intended for all interested citizens. According to the program announced by the Library along with this event, visitors will be able to participate in professionally guided thematic tours in three time slots: at 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. The organizers emphasize that the tours include a general tour of the building, and participation is possible with prior registration via the information center's email address. Such a registration model is important for the protection of materials, but also for the safety and quality of guidance: in smaller groups, it is easier to follow explanations, and movement through individual spaces can be better coordinated with the regular work of the Library.

This year's edition of the program is dedicated to major anniversaries, and thematic tours offer a cross-section of materials from several collections. In the artistic tour on February 18, a visit to the Music and Audio Collection and the Print Collection is planned. The announcement highlights selected scores and recordings for the anniversaries of Croatian musical history, including the operas Nikola Šubić Zrinjski, Oganj (The Fire), and Mala Floramye (Little Floramye). In the Print Collection, the focus is on drawings, prints, posters, and postcards from the 15th to the 21st century, with an emphasis on historical and cultural themes, among which the 460th anniversary of the Battle of Szigetvár and contemporary interpretations of historical motifs are mentioned. Such a combination of musical and visual heritage shows how the national collection can be read as a chronicle of culture, but also as a space for constant reinterpretations.

The historical tour on February 19, according to the announcement, leads visitors to the Manuscripts and Old Books Collection and the Map and Atlas Collection. Here, the manuscript and book holdings are emphasized, along with works of the Zrinski family and parts of Vladimir Nazor's legacy, as well as cartographic heritage with selected maps of Croatia from the 16th century. The announcement mentions rare woodcut maps from Ptolemy's Geography and cartographic gems linked to the names of Pietro Coppo, Mercator, Ortelius, and Münster. Such a choice provides visitors with the opportunity to simultaneously follow two levels of history: the history of text and manuscript and the history of visual representation of space, borders, and identities on maps. It is especially interesting for the public that these contents are usually not permanently exhibited but are shown selectively, with professional interpretation and emphasized protection measures.

• Thematic tour times: 11:00, 13:30, and 17:30 (with prior registration).
• Artistic tour (February 18): Music and Audio Collection and the Print Collection, with an emphasis on musical and visual anniversaries.
• Historical tour (February 19): Manuscripts and Old Books Collection and the Map and Atlas Collection, with an emphasis on manuscript and cartographic heritage.
• General tour: an overview of the space and the Library's roles in the system, from user services to the preservation and protection of materials.

Accompanying content for visitors: from coloring books to “hidden” newspaper crosswords

Along with guided tours, an appropriate accompanying program aimed at different age groups has been announced. Visitors can expect coloring books with motifs of materials from the NSK holdings, crosswords taken from old editions of Croatian newspapers, and special Library editions available as gifts. Such content has a dual purpose: on the one hand, it facilitates the “entry” into the complex world of collections and professional terms, and on the other, it encourages curiosity toward original documents and historical editions. When crosswords are based on old newspapers or when coloring book motifs are based on graphic material and postcards, the visitor actually gets a simple but effective way to connect with material that otherwise remains in the background of professional work.

In practice, such programs are often a way to show the public that the library is not a closed “depository” intended only for experts. In recent years, the NSK has increasingly relied on public programs, exhibitions, and events to bring the national collection closer to citizens, and digital collections further expand the reach: what cannot be physically exhibited constantly can be presented in digital form, with accompanying explanations and context. In a time when information is available at a click, precisely the credible, professional mediation of cultural heritage is one of the reasons why national institutions have special value. In this sense, Open Days are not just a tourist tour of the building, but also an encounter with the processes that make knowledge lasting and verifiable.

Returning books without late fees from February 18 to 21

On the occasion of NSK Day, the Library has announced a benefit for users: from February 18 to 21, 2026, returning books without paying late fees is enabled. Such a measure traditionally generates interest because it gives users an opportunity to return borrowed material without additional costs, especially after a period of intensive use of literature during the academic year. At the same time, in a library system with a large holding, returning material also has a practical dimension: books are returned into circulation and become more accessible to other users. Although this is seemingly simple information, precisely these “small” administrative measures often make a difference in the citizens' attitude toward the institution, as they lower the threshold for reusing services.

Such a decision also has a wider public effect. It is not uncommon for some users to delay returns due to late fees, so the “no late fee” program turns into a moment of resetting the relationship with the library. Libraries thereby send a message that they want to return users to the system and encourage responsible use of materials, instead of late fees becoming an obstacle to re-enrollment or borrowing. In the case of the national library, where part of the material is used exclusively in reading rooms, reminding people of the rules for borrowing and returning is one of the elements that supports the accessibility of the holdings. In the context of Open Days, such a measure also gains a symbolic dimension: the doors are open even to those who may not have returned to the library space for a long time.

How to register and what visitors should know before coming

To participate in professionally guided tours, prior registration is required via the e-mail address informacijski.centar@nsk.hr, and organizers recommend that registrations be sent on time due to group size limitations. Visitors coming for the first time should keep in mind that part of the collections is viewed under rules that protect the material: in some areas, photography is limited or possible only under certain conditions, and sometimes rare material is shown behind protective barriers. Such limitations are not an obstacle to the public, but a prerequisite for preserving valuable heritage, especially when it comes to old manuscripts, prints, or maps that are sensitive to light and temperature changes. That is why professional guidance has special value: visitors get an interpretation that is otherwise not available in the daily work of the reading rooms.

Open Days are therefore an opportunity for visitors to hear explanations about protection and restoration and how the material is preserved for future generations. At the same time, the difference between “general” accessibility and a special preservation regime can be better understood: what is used daily in reading rooms is treated as a unique artifact in special collections. Such an approach is not contrary to the idea of openness but is its condition: without protection, there is no accessibility, and without professional mediation, it is difficult to understand why certain books and documents cannot be flipped through like modern editions. For visitors who want to get more deeply involved, Open Days can also be a starting point for getting to know NSK services, including digital collections, bibliometric services, and other forms of support for scientific and educational work.

In the year of marking the 419th anniversary, with this program, the NSK emphasizes continuity between the historical role of the guardian of written heritage and the modern role of an open public institution. Open Days and the solemn celebration of Library Day 2026 thus gain a meaning that transcends protocol: they are a reminder of the value of sources, the work of the people who preserve them, and the fact that national culture, science, and education rely on institutions that daily, quietly, and systematically build the accessibility of knowledge.

Sources:
- National and University Library in Zagreb – announcement of NSK Day 2026 (ceremony date, Missal context, 419th anniversary, Digital Collections) ( link )
- National and University Library in Zagreb – public call for the award of prizes and recognitions for the year 2025 (categories and purpose of awards) ( link )
- National and University Library in Zagreb – guided tours (building area and shelf length) ( link )
- Croatian Encyclopedia (Miroslav Krleža Lexicographical Institute) – history and development of NSK, link with the year 1607 ( link )