The Town Library

Address: Glavna 131, Ruma
Phone/Fax: 022/495-047
Phone:022/490-047, 022/478-920
e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Working hours:

• Weekdays  7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Saturday  8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The history of libraries and reading- rooms in Ruma started at the time of the craftsmanship and trade origins in the town and it has flown parallel to their development ever since.The expansion of these economic activities created a need for the development of educational and teaching activities, and all together caused a need for a faster flow of books, as the only educational and informational medium at the time.Following the written historical sources, there is an irrefutable fact that during a Fair of Ruma two hundred years ago, next to the trade of the necessaries of life, book trade also existed.

Along with the development of craftsmanship and craft unions, and also with the beginning of other forms of social organizing and citizens’ associations through various national, religious and political organizations, the first institutionalized reading-rooms were created. They were the center of citizens’ gatherings within craft unions and national associations in Ruma. In this way, in the second half of the 19^th century and especially at the beginning of the20^th century, numerous craft unions’ and national associations’ reading-rooms were created. The first Serbian reading-room in Ruma started to work in 1861.

Printing was also largely expanding in Ruma at the time. The first magazines and newspapers were being printed, among the rest the first illustrated expert beekeeping magazine “Serbian Beekeeper” in 1899, as well as the newspapers “Zastava” and “Radikal” and the first books.

The first public people’s library in Ruma, whose services were available to all the citizens, was founded only after the WW2 in 1949. At first, it was run by the enthusiastic volunteers, mostly school teachers, who were the most meritorious for its foundation. Afterwards, the founder rights, its organization and functioning were taken over by the Municipal government. Its name was changed from People’s Reading-room and Library to “Slobodan Bajic-Paja” Library. Ever since it was founded, as the oldest institution in this area, the Town Library worked as an independent institution being only for a short time an integral part of The Cultural Center of Ruma. In 1991 the Assembly of the Municipality of Ruma reestablished it as an independent institution under the present-day name the Town Library.

The library has received numerous social and professional awards. Only some of them are being mentioned: in 1954- Award of the Educational and Cultural Council of Serbia, 1986-Charter of the Cultural-Educational Association of Serbia, 1988- “Dositej Obradovic” Award of the Affiliation of Librarians of Srem.

The basic activity of the library is defined and conducted in accordance with the Law of Library Activities and the rest of the official documents which regulate the work of the institutions of culture of overall social relevance. These activities primarily are: collection, processing, storing and use of books, magazines, newspapers, written documents, music pieces and other non-literature materials, as well as the cultural-educational and publishing activity. Presently, the library contains book fund of 70,000 publications, modernly equipped reading-room and an internet classroom. It is also a member of COBISS.SR (Co-operative online Bibliographic System and Services).