It is made up of publications covering broad ranging topics, originating in the period of the Portuguese colonization of the country, and the post-independence period up until today. Ever since the civil conflict in 1998-1999, the National Library has been struggling to recover from its damages. Currently, the collection is in a very poor condition, and is suffering from humidity and infestations causing an immediate threat. To protect this important record of national heritage from being lost forever, the National Library proposes to clean, restore, catalogue and preserve the collection, and to improve its storage facilities to ensure future maintenance. This CER project is a vital jumpstart of the larger initiative to make this collection accessible again, and to recover the activities and the role in society of the National Library of Guinea-Bissau.

Image copyright: Conservartecuador