Into the Holy of Holies of the Book World: First-Year Students at the National Library of Kazakhstan

We continue our deep dive into the industry! First-year students from the Department of Publishing, Editing, and Design Arts at KazNU named after al-Farabi visited the country’s main literary treasure — the Abai National Library.

Together with their instructor, Makpal Khalelovna Argyngbayeva, the future publishers and designers discovered what is hidden from the eyes of the ordinary reader:

·       Rare folios and manuscripts: they got a tangible connection to the history of national book printing.

·       Restoration process: they learned how old editions are given a second life — invaluable experience for editors!

·       Storage scale: they saw a system where each copy is part of the nation’s cultural code.

The National Library is not just an archive; it is a standard we aspire to in our own work!