The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NUBBiH) will cease operations tomorrow, coinciding symbolically with the anniversary of the burning of the Sarajevo City Hall, where the library was once housed.

Selma Bajraktarevic, an employee of NUBBiH, told N1 that the employees are not “destroyers of state institutions but their guardians,” but due to the dire situation they face, they have no other options.

Employees have not received their salaries for five months, and it appears they will enter a sixth month without payment.

“We have received promises, but that’s all. As of August 26, 2024, NUB employees will suspend services until further notice. Legally, we are required to show up to work, but how we will organize our work activities moving forward remains to be seen. For all other answers, we will have to contact the government of Sarajevo Canton, the government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Council of Ministers—they are the ones who will take over from Monday,” Bajraktarevic told N1.

The government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has given them assurances and stated that they are already working on resolving the issue through special legislation, but this process, according to Bajraktarevic, will take time. The necessary documentation has been submitted.

“We submitted a request to the Sarajevo Canton government to include us in their 2025 budget. We have been allocated funds of 400,000 BAM from Sarajevo Canton and 100,000 BAM from Tuzla Canton, but these funds are not yet operational and will take time. We have not received a single BAM for salaries,” she concluded.

A press conference regarding the suspension of NUB operations will be held tomorrow at 10 AM on the University of Sarajevo campus.