Following independence in 1960, Somalia made significant efforts to establish library and information services despite facing major challenges, such as scarce literature resources and lack of trained staff. The adoption of the Somali written script in 1972 and subsequent national literacy campaigns gave a strong boost to library development.

The Somali National Library (SNL) was formally opened in 1976, initially operating from a temporary location with a collection of 4,000 volumes. In 1986, a purpose-built library building was inaugurated as part of the Mogadishu Cultural Center, housing the National Museum and National Theater.

The SNL functioned as a public, academic, and research library, with distinct sections for general reading, government documents, Somali language development, and historical publications. It also played a role in author support and publication, fostering a generation of Somali writers.

Under the leadership of Director Hassan Noor Farah (1985–1991), the library coordinated national cataloguing efforts, staff training, and the development of a Somali-specific classification system, later adopted by other institutions.

By the late 1980s, Mogadishu had over 45 libraries affiliated with ministries, universities, cultural centers, and research institutions. These included the Somali National University libraries, ministry libraries (such as Foreign Affairs and Planning), cultural institutions (such as the National Archives and Radio Mogadishu), and foreign cultural centers. Many of these libraries worked in a cooperative network and used a union catalog coordinated by the SNL.

Despite these achievements, there was no centralized national archive. Each institution maintained its own documentation, and a lack of national-level preservation strategies left them vulnerable. The civil war beginning in 1991 led to the widespread looting, burning, and destruction of these institutions, culminating in what scholars have referred to as a ‘bibliocaust’ — the deliberate targeting of cultural heritage.