In 2018, the National Library of Iceland – University Library celebrates 200 years since its founding. To mark the occasion, the museum is hosting a lunchtime lecture series that will discuss the history and role of the museum.
The President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, opened the lecture series with the talk "Documents create a nation. The National Library and the shaping of memories for two centuries" in the lecture hall of the National Library on January 11th.

The abstract of the talk states:

"There is no nation without a story. There is no history without sources. They are embedded in people's memories, recorded on parchment or paper. This talk will discuss Icelanders, how they created a history for themselves and became a nation among nations, and how that work is progressing in the currents of globalization and foreign influence today. At the same time, we will take a look around the halls of the National Library, commemorate its anniversary, and emphasize the importance of the written word for a society on the path to progress."

See a video from the lecture on the museum's YouTube channel .