Reading Rooms

American Space

Gediminas Ave. 51, 2nd floor, Room 205

Opening hours: September - June, July - August

The American Space was established by an agreement between the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania and the US Embassy in Lithuania in order to introduce visitors to the culture, economy, literature, and history of the United States and to foster cultural cooperation between both countries.

In the Space you can:

  • read and borrow fiction and non-fiction books in English by US authors (some of the publications are in closed collections and can be ordered on ibiblioteka.lt);
  • use eLibraryUSA databases;
  • use a computer and free wireless internet.

For the latest information about the American Space and upcoming events, please visit the National Library’s Facebook page and website.

If you need assistance, please contact the Information and Registration Desk (2nd floor) or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Children's and Youth Literature Reading Room

Gedimino 51, 1st floor
Loan period renewals and consultations, Tel. +370 5 239 8563
Opening hours: September - June, July - August

Spaces and services

  • Borrowing books
    An open collection available for browsing, reading and, of course, borrowing so you will be able to take desired books home.
  • Self-service machine
    Self-service machines allow users to borrow or return documents without needing to queue.
  • Reading Room
    In this Reading Room, visitors will find a quiet place to read, study, communicate or spend their free time. Visitors can use work areas for group work or individual study or to gather at the discussion table.
  • The Silent Space
    A separate space offers the children's literature research collection and is equipped with computer workstations designed for students, scientists and other specialists who are interested in children's and adolescent literature. Here, the young library readers will find a quiet place to do their homework or engage in other tasks.
  • A Space for the Little Ones
    The youngest readers can enjoy a space designed to meet their needs and the way they see the world.
  • Event Space
    A space ideally suited for group work, educational activities, meetings with writers, illustrators, readings aloud or other events as well as theatre performances.

Other premises

  • Child Care Room
    Located next to the Children's and Youth Literature Reading Room, this space is designed to take care of the needs of the smallest visitors.
Humanities Reading Room

Gedimino 51, 3rd floor, Room 306
Tel. (internal) 8655
Opening hours: September - June, July - August

The open collection of printed documents consists of over 8 thousand publications. In the Reading Room, you will find publications in the following fields of humanities:

  • cultural studies,
  • philosophy,
  • religion,
  • theology,
  • linguistics,
  • literary studies and criticism,
  • world history.

The open collection of the Reading Room is freely accessible to the visitors and publications cannot be ordered via the information system of the Library. Other publications may be ordered from the Library’s depository. Information about all the available publications is provided in and orders are placed via the Library’s Online Catalogue; the codes of the publications available in the Reading Room start with the letters HM.

Ordering and collecting orders ›

Internet services are free of charge, Wi-Fi is available. Printing services of the necessary information and electronic papers are provided. If you need any help, ask the librarian or specialist consultant.

Our information search consultants may:

  • help you choose most appropriate materials for your studies and/or research;
  • advise on effective ways to use printed and electronic collections of our Library;
  • assist in using our catalogues and answer your queries on bibliography.

If you cannot find a publication, we will help you find it in another library or offer our assistance in using electronic resources.

If you need assistance, consult a library staff member. You may also submit your enquiries using “Ask a Librarian” service.

Lithuanian Studies Reading Room

Gedimino 51, 3rd floor, Room 335
Opening hours: September - June, July - August

The open collection of printed documents of the Reading Room consists of over 7 thousand publications dedicated to Lithuania and its people and covering the following topics:

  • the Lithuanian language,
  • history of the Lithuanian press,
  • Lithuanian national bibliography,
  • Lithuanian cultural anthropology,
  • Lithuanian history,
  • local history,
  • biographies of Lithuanian historical figures,
  • Lithuanian politics,
  • Lithuanian education,
  • emigration of Lithuanians.

The open collection of the Reading Room is freely accessible to the visitors and publications cannot be ordered via the information system of the Library. Other publications may be ordered from the Library’s depository. Information about all the available publications is provided in and orders are placed via the Library’s Online Catalogue; the codes of the publications available in the Reading Room start with the letters LT.

Ordering and issuing publications ›

Internet services are free of charge, Wi-Fi is available. Printing services of the necessary information and electronic papers are provided. If you need any help, ask the librarian or specialist consultant.

Our information search consultants may:

  • help you choose most appropriate materials for your studies and/or research;
  • advise on effective ways to use printed and electronic collections of our Library;
  • assist in using our catalogues and answer your queries on bibliography.

If you cannot find a publication, we will help you find it in another library or offer our assistance in using electronic resources.

If you need assistance, consult a library staff member. You may also submit your enquiries using “Ask a Librarian” service.

Media Reading Room

Gedimino 51, 2nd floor, Room 236
Opening hours: September - June, July - August

The open collection of printed documents consists of newspapers of over 200 different names and magazines of over 400 different names. The Reading Room offers the following periodicals:

  • current year’s periodicals published in Lithuania,
  • current year’s periodicals and serials of other countries,
  • universal information publications: encyclopaedias, dictionaries, reference books.

The open collection of the Reading Room is freely accessible to the visitors and publications cannot be ordered via the information system of the Library. Other publications may be ordered from the Library’s depository. Information about all the available publications is provided in and orders are placed via the Library’s Online Catalogue.

Ordering and issuing publications ›

There are 8 computer workstations in the Reading Room. Internet services are free of charge, Wi-Fi is available. Printing services of the necessary information and electronic papers are provided. If you need any help, please ask the consultant at the information station.

You may also submit your enquiries using “Ask a Librarian” service.

Music and Visual Arts Reading Room

Gedimino 51, 5th floor, Room 508
Tel. (internal) 8657, E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Opening hours: September - June, July - August

The Reading Room provides information resources in the field of humanities and is equipped with a variety of hardware and software:

  • encyclopaedias and books on music, art, design, architecture, scenic design, photography, theatre, cinema and dance;
  • sheet music;
  • notation software with MIDI keyboards;
  • interactive drawing boards;
  • audio and video editing software;
  • equipment for playback of different media: vinyls, audio cassettes, CDs, and videos;
  • a synthesizer.

The open collection of the Reading Room is freely accessible to the visitors and publications cannot be ordered via the information system of the Library. Information about all the available publications is provided in and orders are placed via the Library’s Online Catalogue; the codes of the publications available in the Reading Room start with the letters MVM.

The following may be ordered and issued at the reading room via the library’s information system:

  • audio and video documents (vinyl records, compact audio cassettes, audio and video CDs, videotapes);
  • documents from the audio-visual archive of the National Archival Collection of Published Documents;
  • sheet music documents;
  • small prints from music and visual arts (posters, placards, postcards, book-plates).

Information about all the available publications is provided in and orders are placed via the Library’s Online Catalogue or National Library’s Image Catalogue.

Internet services are free of charge, Wi-Fi is available. Printing services of the necessary information and electronic papers are provided. If you need any help, ask the librarian or specialist consultant.

Our information search consultants may:

  • help you choose most appropriate materials for your studies and/or research;
  • advise on effective ways to use printed and electronic collections of our Library;
  • provide copying services of audio documents;
  • arrange reservation for the music lab;
  • assist in using our catalogues and answer your queries on bibliography.

If you cannot find a publication, we will help you find it in another library or offer our assistance in using electronic resources.

If you need assistance, consult a library staff member. You may also submit your enquiries using “Ask a Librarian” service.

Discover the exciting things about the history of audio recordings, share your knowledge about the past and future of music, and communicate via the Facebook page Senoji plokštelė (The Old Vinyl) administered by the Music and Visual Arts Unit.

Palanga Summer Reading Room

Vytauto 72, Palanga
Tel. +370 460 51368 (during the season), +370 5 239 8675 (off-season, in Vilnius)
Opening hours: September - June, July - August

  • The open collection (fiction, educational and informational literature),
  • periodicals in various languages,
  • a separate reading room for children,
  • exhibitions and events throughout the season.
Rare Books and Manuscripts Reading Room

Gedimino 51, 5th floor, Room 533
Tel. (internal) 8658, E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Opening hours: September - June, July - August

  • The open collection (reference books, encyclopaedias, dictionaries, bibliographic publications);
  • Photocopying services;
  • Documents of the National Archive Collection of Published Documents are available in the Reading Room.

The Reading Room provides access to:

  • the collection of Lithuanian and Lithuanian Studies printing: Lithuanian books published from the 16th century to 1904; books published in Lithuania in foreign languages and books published in the Western Europe over a period from the 16th century to 1830;
  • old and rare European printing of the 15th–19th century: books, periodicals, official letters, cartographic and other publications;
  • collections of manuscript documents (from the 16th century to this day) related to the Lithuanian history, culture, science and social life phenomena or events;
  • dissertations and habilitation theses defended in Lithuanian education institutions since 1994.
Social Sciences Reading Room

Gedimino 51, 3rd floor, Room 334
Tel. (internal) 8656
Opening hours: September - June, July - August

In the Reading Room, you will find:

  • publications in the fields of psychology,
  • sociology,
  • politics,
  • economics,
  • law,
  • bibliology and other social sciences.

The open collection of printed documents consists of over 8 thousand publications. The open collection of the Reading Room is freely accessible to the visitors and publications cannot be ordered via the information system of the Library. Other publications may be ordered from the Library’s depository. Information about all the available publications is provided in and orders are placed via the Library’s Online Catalogue; the codes of the publications available in the Reading Room start with the letters SM.

Ordering and issuing publications ›

Internet services are free of charge, Wi-Fi is available. Printing services of the necessary information and electronic papers are provided. If you need any help, ask the librarian or specialist consultant.

Our information search consultants may:

  • help you choose most appropriate materials for your studies and/or research;
  • advise on effective ways to use printed and electronic collections of our Library;
  • assist in using our catalogues and answer your queries on bibliography.

If you cannot find a publication, we will help you find it in another library or offer our assistance in using electronic resources.

If you need assistance, consult a library staff member. You may also submit your enquiries using “Ask a Librarian” service.