Almost half of the books are in Hebrew and related Hebrew-letter languages such as Yiddish and Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), the NIL said.

The Library posted unique albums to its Facebook page showing IDF soldiers throughout Israel's various wars, and inviting the public to identify friends and loved ones.

The National Library of Israel is the first Israeli organization to take part in Google's 'Once Upon A Try' project, a digital exploration of inventions and discoveries.

"To sustain their relevance in the information age, libraries must generate alternative spaces to attract new audiences," the architects state.