The mission of the SNL is through library and information services and information technology ensure free access to information distributed on all media, build, protect and made available library, archive and museum funds and collections with relation to documentation of Slovak literature development and book culture and thus meet the cultural, information, scientific research and educational needs of people.
Slovak National Library:
- is a conservation library and the depository library of the Slovak Republic
- collects, professionally processes, stores, preserves and makes available domestic and foreign Slavic documents related to Slovakia
- is the national bibliographic agency, which coordinates the national bibliographic system, processing and access to the Slovak national bibliography
- is a literary archive, literary museum and biographical documentation, conducting research, preservation and promotion of Slovak culture and literature
- is the advisor, coordinator, trainer and statistical institute of the library system
- is the national agency for international standard numbering of documents and international identification documents (ISBN and ISMN)
- standardization and scientific-research institute of library system
- is the national headquarters for interlibrary loan service and international interlibrary loan services
- manages and protects historical library documents and historical library funds
- comments on the draft declaration and abolition of historical library documents and historical library collections and determines its value
- keep a central register of historical library documents and historical library funds
- comments on the application for consent for the permanent export of a document or set of documents, which for its exceptional value it is possible for a declaration historical library or historical library documents
- is the national center for the area of restoration, preservation, conservation and digitization of library documents
- manages the Libraries Union Catalogue of monographs and co-ordination of union catalogues of libraries
- collect the statistical data from the libraries in accordance with approved indicators
