The Ethiopian National Library and Archives was opened by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1944, with the emperor donating the first books himself. It is more useful as a historical and civic landmark than as a conventional museum, but it gives a quiet glimpse of Ethiopia's modern state-building story.
Travellers with an interest in books, archives, or twentieth-century Addis Ababa will get the most from a stop here. For most visitors, it pairs best with nearby central sights rather than as a destination on its own.