Guinea-Bissau - Libraries and museums

The National Institute of Studies and Research (Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisa—INEP) in Bissau maintains a collection of 40,000 volumes and includes archives and museum. In 1999, the National Institute was badly damaged and vandalized during the violent conflict between government forces and rebels. A restoration effort was underway with the support of international scholars in 2000. The Museum of Guinea-Bissau, also in Bissau, has a library of 14,000 volumes and maintains collections of interest in the fields of ethnography, history, natural science, and economics. There are municipal libraries in major cities. There are two museums in Bissau, the Museum of Portuguese Guinea and the National Ethnographic Museum.