The roots of the National Library of Iran, like many modern administrative institutions in the country, trace back to the era of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar. The establishment of a royal library at the court and, more importantly, the establishment of a library in the Dar al-Funun school (1863) marked the first steps toward forming a national library. Later, the Society of Education (Anjoman-e Ma’arif), founded to promote schools in Iran, set up a library adjacent to Dar al-Funun, named “National Library of Education” intended for student use. This initiative further accelerated the move towards establishing a national library.
However, during the decline of the Qajar dynasty, the nation’s general instability sidelined the library’s development. The issue was revisited with the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty, which prioritized nation-building and nationalism. Mehdi Bayani, then head of the Ma’arif Library, proposed the idea of creating the “National Library of Iran” to Ali Asghar Hekmat. Hekmat requested Reza Shah’s approval to construct a library building alongside the under-construction National Museum of Iran. On September 3,1937, the books of the Ma’arif Library were officially transferred to the new building, and on September 14, the library was formally renamed the “National Library of Iran”.
One of the most significant developments after the Revolution, which profoundly influenced the nature and operations of the National Library, was its merger with the Library Service Center. This center, established in 1968, merged with the National Library in 1982. Before this merger, resource organization was not conducted systematically or scientifically. Following the merger, practices were scientifically reformed under the guidance of specialists and academic staff, adhering to international standards.
A major milestone in enhancing the library’s performance was the enactment of the Legal Deposit Law in 1989. Initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, this law required all government and non-government publishers to deposit copies of their publications with the National Library.
Before the revolution, the National Library operated under the Ministry of Culture and Art. Afterwards, it fell under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education. In 1990, based on the Statute of the National Library of Iran approved by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament), the National Library Iran was established as an independent organization under the direct supervision of the President.
Finally, in 2002, in orfer to organize the management of records, enhance coordination, improve access, and reduce costs, the National Archives Organization merged with the National Library of Iran. The new organization was renamed the “National Library and Archives of the Islamic Republic of Iran“.
Today, the National Library and Archives of Iran operates with four main deputies: the National Library Deputy, the National Archives Deputy, the Research and Digital Deputy, and the Management and Human Resources Development Deputy. These functions are carried out across two facilities: the “National Library of Iran” and the ” National Archives of Iran”.