History of the Library

The basis for science, research and education in the spheres of forestry and wood industries began to be concentrated in Central Slovakia in the 1950s. The geographical location of this region and its adequate natural resources contributed to this concentration. Forests guaranteed employment possibilities for the inhabitants living in the area and provided a valuable raw material with further opportunities of its utilisation.

The Forest Research Institute and the Institute of Forest Management that began to work in Zvolen laid the foundations of three woodworking plants – Bučina in Zvolen, Smrečina in Banská Bystrica, and Preglejka in Žarnovica.

In 1952, the University of Forestry and Wood Technology was established in Zvolen. The State Study Library founded in Zvolen on September 1, 1952 had a close connection with the activities of the University. The establishment of all above-mentioned institutions was of great national importance for the development of forestry and wood industries in Slovakia.

In 1954, the Library was given a new name – the State Scientific Library. According to the first Library organisational rules, the main task of the Library was to acquire, process, and make accessible literature in all scientific branches, especially in forestry and wood sciences. Therefore, the Library became important for the development of science and education in Central Slovakia and within its specialisation also in a broader national framework.

During sixty-five years of its existence, the Library has passed through a complicated period. The history of the Library includes significant years, dates and interesting moments. The Library building-up was strongly influenced by various political, economic and sociological changes. The Library development was positively influenced by the technological changes and the progress of information and communication technologies. During its development, the Library has changed its name several times.

There are two very important moments in the Library history. The first one was, when in 1978 the Library was transferred from the competence of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Socialist Republic to the direct competence of the University of Forestry and Wood Technology in Zvolen (at present the Technical University in Zvolen) with all rights and functions of a nation-wide institution. In the modern history, the year 2007 was of high importance for the Slovak Library of Forestry and Wood Sciences. In that year a full reconstruction of the Library interior began. The reconstruction brought a significant qualitative change in providing library-information services.