The history of our association dates back to the first half of the 20th century. In 1920, the Association of Czechoslovak Librarians and their Friends was established, which was a member of the international library organization IFLA until the dissolution of the first Czechoslovakia. This association was dissolved only in 1949. During the first Czechoslovakia, Slovak library workers did not have their own national professional association, but could be members of the aforementioned national library association (1920 – 1949).
The proposal for the establishment of a national association of Slovak librarians was submitted by the professional librarian public at a working convention of Slovak library workers, which was held at the initiative of the Association of Public Municipal Librarians on January 2-3, 1932 in Bratislava, with the participation of Czech librarians. The expert paper Libraries and Slovakia was delivered by Moravian librarian Jiří Mahen. In the resolution of the congress, among other things, the establishment of an association of Slovak librarians was demanded.
The first national Association of Slovak Librarians was established February 12, 1946 as the first Slovak professional association. Union of Slovak Librarians (ZSK) held its founding meeting on February 27, 1946 with the participation of 24 library workers in the Metropol cafe in Bratislava. Exactly Association of Slovak librarians and libraries (hereinafter SSKK), as the successor of this association, is considered to be the oldest professional association in Slovakia.
One of the goals of the association is to co-create a platform for the development of the theory and practice of librarianship, bibliography and information science in cooperation with national library institutions, representatives of state and public authorities in coordination with the membership. In terms of its activity, it popularizes Slovak librarianship, bibliography, information science and participates in the promotion of activities that serve the goals of the association.
SSKK unites both collective members - libraries and information workplaces, as well as individual members from the ranks of the library and information profession and its sympathizers. The association started the tradition of carrying out professional activities, not only for its members, since its foundation, but the most famous INFOS has been organizing them in cooperation with partners since 1972. In the past period, the SSKK actively cooperated with the Week of Slovak Libraries, the aim of which was to raise the profile of libraries as cultural and educational institutions. Since 2006, he has been coordinating the Slovak reading promotion event Night with Andersen in Slovakia and also manages the website www.nocsandersenom.sk with information about the event. It implements or participates in cooperation in several activities such as International Day of Book Donation, Day of European Women and Authors, etc. It operates a web portal for library and information theory and practice, InfoLib, which serves the entire library community and is its permanent information source.
SSKK is a voluntary professional and status organization uniting librarians and information professionals, while its members include institutions of national importance. Through its regional branches, it organizes a number of professional events (not only) for librarians and information workers: seminars, workshops, excursions - study trips to libraries and information institutions not only at home, but also abroad. SSKK has been a regular national associate member for more than 55 years IFLA (The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions - International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions). By becoming a member of this global organization, the SSKK tries to bring new impulses and trends into the Slovak professional environment thanks to the mediation of information, either by translating important documents of global importance or by participating in activities of global importance. Since 2024, SSKK has been a regular member EBLIDA – European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations.
Members of the SSKK leadership are part of important national and international professional structures (e.g. Central Library Council; Expert Commission for the Library of the Year program...).