The main library of Azerbaijan is the largest national library not only in the Caucasus and the European continent, but one of the largest national libraries and book depositories in the world.

The library was founded in 1922 and officially opened on May 23, 1923.

When the library was created, 5,000 copies of literature were donated to the library from the funds of the libraries of Imperial Technical Society’s Baku branch and Baku Public Society.

First director of the library which started activity with only 13 employees was M.Salimov. The reading hall in the library was opened in 1927. The reading hall was open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. The library was located in just a few rooms of the building of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, which significantly limited its activities. Nevertheless, already in 1928, 6 departments were created in the National Library: Eastern, Russian, Western European, Special Department and Service and Bibliographic Bureau. The number of employees reached 29 people.

The main attention of the library was paid to the replenishment of the fund. In 1925, 51,000 books were collected for the library fund, and in 1928, 300,000 books, magazines, newspapers, postcards and other printed matterials. Only in 1928, 50 titles of periodicals were received from abroad. There were 3183 readers, including 2957 men and 226 women. Book delivery was 2576 copies. The first bibliographic indexes were prepared in 1927. In general, due to the increased interest in the East at that time, indicators were published under the title "Journal Materials about the East (1917-1927)" and "Literature of the USSR about the East in 1927".

In 1939, the library was named after M.F. Akhundov, a thinker, playwright and teacher.

In 1960 the library moved to a new building. This building, located in one of the most beautiful places in Baku, is a historical architectural monument. It was built according to the project of an outstanding architect, academician Mikail Huseynov. A special role in choosing a place for construction belongs to the national writer Suleiman Ragimov.

Favorable conditions created in the new library building, the work of experienced and competent specialists laid in 1961 a solid foundation for more effective library activities to strengthen the socio-economic and intellectual potential of our people.

Over the years, the scope of the library has expanded, dozens of the new departments have been created, the amount of literature in its funds has exceeded one million, and the number of employees has reached hundreds.

There are currently 24 departments in the National Library. The library consists of 4,604,133 copies literature.

The National Library performs the functions of a leading institution in the field of librarianship and bibliography, a scientific and methodological center for all libraries in the country. It provides a comprehensive library, bibliographic and information service to readers, acts as an interlibrary loan, national and advisory bibliography, and is an international and domestic depository center.

The National Library is the leading scientific and methodological center in the republic for library science, bibliography and book science, provides comprehensive services to readers in obtaining the necessary information, performs the functions of an interlibrary loan, an international and domestic depository center.

Heydar Aliyev, the  National leader of Azerbaijan, visited the National Library 4 times (1995 - June 3; 1996 - March 4; 1997 - November 5, 20) and donated hundreds of books from his personal collection to the library.

In 2004, by decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, the library was given the status of "National Library", which was a high assessment of its activities.

Materials and manuals prepared by the National Library are placed on the website of the library and as a result, all publications are presented to be used by librarians before publishing. Today there is no sphere where computers and other information technologies are not used. In the National Library named after M.F.Akhundov, this work was started in 1999, since 2000 an Internet hall was put into operation in the library, and in 2001 the Educational Center was created.

The National Library, which has a rich book fund, contains the first samples of Azerbaijani book culture - the first printed books printed by the lithographic method, samples of periodicals of the XIXth century. The department of rare books and the library museum of the library contains the oldest books in about 20 languages of the world, fundamental research related to various fields of science, and valuable review literature. A miniature book collection, exquisitely designed book copies, arouse great interest among readers. The archive fund of the library contains originals and photocopies of 91 newspapers, which constitute an unprecedented part of the history of our press, covering 1875-1930, as well as magazines that played an important role in the development of the Azerbaijani press.

Since 2003, an automated control system has been introduced in the library. VTLS system software ("Virginia Tech Library Systems") was developed by organizations in the United States that create specialized automated systems for libraries. This includes compiling an electronic catalog, organizing an electronic library, registering readers, lending books, replenishing the book fund, creating a national bibliography, automating all library processes.

In 2005, the National Library became a member of the international organization CENL - "The Conference of European National Librarians". Among the countries of the former USSR, after Russia, Azerbaijan became the second country to join this organization.

Since 2010, bilateral agreements have been signed with a number of world libraries on cooperation in order to obtain literature that is not available in the National Library's collection.

Currently, the National Library provides methodological services to all libraries of the republic, as well as to all readers and Internet users in a virtual mode.

The sections "Methodological Service" and "Bibliographic Reference" have been created on the library's website.

From anywhere in the country, librarians, readers and Internet users have the opportunity to apply with various requests to the National Library through an electronic website and receive answers to requests as soon as possible.

The National Library is a treasury of national culture and state book depository that implements the state policy in the field of librarianship in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The library collects and preserves national publications, works of Azerbaijani authors and literature about Azerbaijan published abroad, publications of world cultural significance, as well as valuable books and other information carriers in foreign languages.

Recommended literature:

1. Xələfov, Abuzər Alı oğlu. XXI əsrin əvvəllərində Azərbaycanda kitabxana işinin əsas inkişaf istiqamətləri : mülahizələr, təkliflər və proqnozlar / A. A. Xələfov ; red. K. İ. Aslan ; AMEA Mərkəzi Elmi Kitabxana. - Bakı : [n. y.], 2006. - 106 s.
2. Xələfov, Abuzər Alı oğlu. Kitabxanaların kompüterləşdirilməsinin əsasları : dərslik / A. A. Xələfov, A. İ. Qurbanov ; elmi red. R. Ə. Kazımov. - Bakı : Bakı Universiteti Nəşriyyatı, 2007. - 200 s.
3. Azərbaycan kitabxanaları XXI əsrin informasiya məkanında : rəqəmlər və faktlar / Azərbaycan Respublikası Mədəniyyət və Turizm Nazirliyi; tərt.: S. Y. Məmmədəliyeva, L. A. Məmmədova ; elmi red. S. Y. Məmmədəliyeva ; bur. məsul F. Babayev ; red. heyəti: S. Ə. Abbasov, Ə. Əhmədov. I - II cild. - Bakı : Nurlar NPM, 2007. - 820 s. 
4. Xələfova, S. A. Azərbaycanda dövlət kütləvi kitabxanalar şəbəkəsinin inkişafı : 1970-1990 / S. A. Xələfova ; elmi red. X. İ. İsmayılov ; Bakı Dövlət Universiteti. - Bakı : Bakı Universiteti Nəşriyyatı, 2007. - 159 s.
5. Исмајылов, Хәлил Исмајыл оғлу. Азәрбајҹан Республикасында китабхана ишинин методик тә'минат системинин инкишаф тарихи : 1918-2000-ҹи илләр: монографија / Х. И. Исмајылов ; елми ред. А. А. Хәләфов ; ред. К. И. Аслан. - Бакы : Бакы Университети нәшријјаты, 2000. - 450 с.