The Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research is a unique center for folkloristic, ethnological, ethnomusicological and related scientific research in the Republic of Croatia.

The members of the Institute are experts in ethnology, cultural anthropology, folklore studies, literary theory, theatre studies, music studies, choreology, and art history.

The Institute has a rich library and collection of ethnographic materials, where a number of manuscript collections, audio and video recordings, photographs and films are held. The Institute also publishes the Nova etnografija series, as well as the academic journal Narodna Umjetnost.

The library of the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research is specialized in the area of ethnology, folklore research, ethnomusicology, ethnocoreography, Slavic studies and cultural and social anthropology, as well as for other areas in accordance with the projects and interests of our associates. By the value of its collection and by the state-of-the-art organization and processing of material and the transmission of data, the most significant library of its kind, the library of the Institute is unique for the Republic of Croatia.

The library contains a rich, valuable and diverse fund of domestic and foreign scientific and specialized literature, from the exceptionally old, today already rare and therefore protected editions, to a large number of publications of the most recent domestic and foreign books and journals. The total collection of the library is at the disposal of users of all profiles: scientists, professors, students, journalists and other associates of mass-media, activists in the area of amateur culture and to all others who can find in it the needed literature for researching the topic of their interest.On 2014, the Ministry of culture awarded the Library and Archivecultural heritage status.

The Republic of Croatia is one of the first states that ratified the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in 2005. Croatia is making a great effort to develop an effective system of protection and safeguarding of the intangible heritage not only on national, but also on regional and international level. Today, Croatia has 16 intangible cultural heritage items on the UNESCO list.The Institute has an obligation of safeguarding the intangible cultural goods, our scientists of the Institute are working on all 16 of them. The Library has an important role in this research.

During the year, the Library organizes exhibitions of new books and journals, also thematic exhibitions based on folklore events through the calandar year. This year The Institute celebrates 70th anniversary and library prepares a special  exhibition planned for that occasion.

The Library collaborates on different projects with many Croatian institutions in the frame of AKM community (Archive, libraries, museums). The AKM community is strongly connected and it organizes a yearly conference for the last 22 years.

Our Library has been using computers from 1985. In 2000. we have started the digitalizing our collections and from 2015. the project has continuedto develop throughthe DARIAH-ERIC Consortium (Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities). The Institute as the national coordinating institution, is currently working on expanding the network of partner institutions and systematization of the national consortium. Also, the Institute is the official representative of the Republic of Croatia in the DARIAH ERIC. The Institute has developed a digital repository, which is also a national repository of intangible cultural heritage. The Institute has established fruitful international cooperation and strong ties with partner institutions abroad, as well.

The digital repository contains 10 digital collections, 7 databases of documentary materials, 4 projects and 2 virtual exhibitions. From this year, we are involved in developing an e-library, publicating e-books. Today, we have 10 published e-books, 15 in preparation.