ABSTRACT
Libraries and book culture in Belarus have been affected by Belarus' historical and geopolitical situation on the crossroads of Eastern Europe. The history of Belarus is complex due to the political instability of the region that led to numerous wars and often resulted in the destruction and loss of books, as well as the removal and dispersions of libraries. All these factors have contributed to the difficulty of the study of libraries, which was neglected for many years. This article give a brief historical overview of private, public, academic and special libraries in the country from the 11th century through the fall of the Soviet Union and the independence of Belarus in 1991. The final section of the study offers a discussion of developments since the 1990s.
