The library was founded by the government of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic in 1922. The library moved to its current location on May 23, 1923. The building was designed by Azerbaijani architect Mikayil Huseynov. Its facades has statues of various writers and poets: Nizami Ganjavi, Mahsati, Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Shota Rustaveli, Alexander Pushkin and several others. It was first known as the "General Library and State Book Storage of Azerbaijan". On July 11, 1939, the library got its present name.