Written by Aram Ghoogasian (2024)

INtroduction

The National Library of Armenia (Haystani Azgayin Gradaran) in Yerevan is the largest in the country, housing more than six million items in its main collection. The library embarked on a large-scale digitization project in 2012, uploading, by its own count, more than twelve million pages of books and periodicals in a decade’s time. These materials are available for free online, accessible by anyone, anywhere, anytime, no login required.

The National Library of Armenia is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 9pm; Saturday, from 9am to 8pm; Sunday from 9am to 5pm.

Location: Google Maps

GOING THERE

The library is less than a 10 min. walk from Yeritasardakan metro station. If you can’t take the metro or get there on foot (or if you don’t want to brave the bus), you could always get a ride via the Yandex App.

GETTING IN

To register, head toward the back entrance in the alley connecting Teryan and Abovyan streets along the southern end of Viktor Hambardzumyan Park. Be sure to take your passport and a passport-size photo for your reader pass. You’ll need to fill out a brief form, too. The reading room is on the fourth floor, accessible only through this same entrance. You’re free to use the roomier, better-lit Main Reading Room, but you’re not allowed to take books you’ve checked out there.

Finding your material

The library’s holdings are listed on the Union Catalog of Armenian Libraries website. If you’re looking for periodicals, search the Union Catalog of Armenian Continuing Resources. Titles are not transliterated, and need to be searched in the original language.

Ordering your material

Books can be ordered via the Union Catalog of Armenian Libraries website using the username and password assigned to you after registering. In case you need help, the library has an instructional video explaining how to use the ordering system. When ordering periodicals that aren’t already digitized, you need to search the card catalog on the first floor and fill out a slip of paper. Most orders are fulfilled within a few hours.

Ordering scans

You can photocopy books for 10 AMD (less than .03 USD) per one-sided page or for 15 AMD (about .04 USD) per double-sided page. The price for digital scans varies depending on type, size, format and resolution. There are limits, however, as you are restricted to one complete chapter or excerpts not exceeding ten percent of a whole book. Newspapers, maps, and other materials cannot be photocopied or scanned.

Food and well-being

There are a number of markets and food options located within walking distance of the library, whatever your budget. While there are bathrooms, there may not be any toilet paper or paper towels.

ADDITIONAL REMARKS

The reading room where you’ll need to stay to read the books you order can get cramped, and though there are AC units on both ends of the room, it’s liable to get stuffy. The larger reading room is more spacious, but the lack of AC means it gets too warm for comfort in the hotter months.