Strategic vision of General Nguyen Chi Thanh

68 autumns ago, on November 15, 1957, under the direction of General Nguyen Chi Thanh, Chief of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army, the Military Library was born as a green shoot of knowledge amidst the bombs and bullets of war. The first "library soldiers" with only three people and a few hundred simple books, crossed forests and waded through streams to bring knowledge to units and soldiers. From that green shoot, 68 years has been a glorious journey, a journey of intelligence, culture and loyalty to the mission of "preserving and spreading knowledge".

President Luong Cuong and leaders of the Ministry of National Defense visited the book display area of ​​the Military Library at the 12th Military Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term.

68 years of cultivation with sweat, intelligence and blood of many generations, the Military Library today has grown into a "giant tree" of knowledge - the State-level Military General Science Library. The team is now not only large in number of officers, employees and soldiers, but also strong in quality, of which 74% have university and college degrees and 26% have postgraduate degrees. That is the core force, the brain and heart to create new miracles. It is a pride when generations of library soldiers, from the elders more than half a century ago to the young soldiers today, share the same heartbeat, look in the same direction, the future of the Military Library on the path of development.

As the "locomotive" of the entire army's library system, the Military Library is not simply a place to store books, but has become a creative center, a cultural "fortress". From traditional book introductions to online competitions, the golden pages of the nation's history have been revived. From manual document processing operations, the library is taking steady steps on the digital transformation journey, turning a huge treasure trove of knowledge into vivid data that can reach every soldier in the most remote areas. Vocational training courses not only improve skills but also ignite the passion in the hearts of librarians throughout the army.

In 2025, a year with many special marks, officers, employees and soldiers of the Military Library together wrote brilliant new pages of history.

Strong transformation in the digital age

Under the leadership of the Party Committee and Board of Directors, the Military Library not only exceeded the planned targets but also pioneered in the application of information technology. From the modern library management system, the well-built digital document repositories, to the exhibitions, exhibitions, and discussions attracting thousands of participants, it has proven the strong vitality of a library in the 4.0 era.


Lieutenant General Do Xuan Tung, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the People's Army, inspected digital transformation work at the Military Library.

The Library has successfully organized a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South, National Reunification and the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, Party congresses at all levels, conferences and seminars through thematic book exhibitions, discussion sessions, authors, works or profound historical witnesses, and attractive history competitions. In particular, the "Decoding History" competition is not only an intellectual playground but also a bridge to bring the heroic history of the nation closer to the young generation. The achievements of the Excellent Award through the National Library Staff Festival to promote the development of reading culture are proof of the creativity and enthusiasm of the officers, employees and soldiers of the Military Library.

Deep international integration

Attending the 19th Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL XIX) in Malaysia and participating in overseas delegations helps the Library learn, share and bring back valuable lessons to improve itself.

The Library Board of Directors has paid attention to creating a modern cultural space. The renovation and upgrading of the General Reading Room, Document Search Room, Newspaper - Magazine Room into a comfortable and creative reading space shows comprehensive attention to both the spiritual and physical life of each officer and soldier.

These achievements have been recognized with 6 Certificates of Merit from the Minister of National Defense and the Chief of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army, Certificates of Merit from the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission and Emulation Flags from the General Political Department. But perhaps, the greatest reward does not lie in the certificates of merit but in the maturity of each library staff member on the path of serving readers inside and outside the army.

Standing on the threshold of the future, the world is constantly changing with technological storms and multi-dimensional information flows. Reading culture is under enormous pressure. But in that context, the mission of librarians becomes more important than ever. They are not only gatekeepers of knowledge, but also those who guide and spread knowledge to overcome information fluctuations. To do that, the Military Library needs to continue to strive to become a center of connection and creativity. The library space will no longer be a quiet place with silent bookshelves. It must become a "creative center", a place for public discussions and exchanges with writers, scientists, exhibition spaces... turning each page of a book into a vivid experience.

The Military Library needs to be a pioneer in digitizing and personalizing services. The project "Digital transformation of the library system in the Army" when approved will be a turning point. Building a smart digital library, capable of analyzing readers' needs to recommend appropriate documents, bringing personalized experiences to each officer and soldier, wherever they are. And to reach out to the community, the Military Library will open its doors to welcome readers inside and outside the Army, becoming a bridge of knowledge between the Army and the people, contributing to building a learning society.

68 years is a long journey of perseverance and passion. That glorious tradition is like a sacred flame, passed from generation to generation. Today, that flame is burning in the hearts of every officer, employee and soldier of the Military Library. We vow to work together to keep that flame burning, so that the Military Library will forever be a "red address" of culture and knowledge, the pride of the heroic Vietnam People's Army, worthy of the trust of the Party, the State and the people.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/thu-vien-quan-doi-tu-mam-xanh-den-dai-thu-tri-thuc-trong-ky-nguyen-so-1011966