The library also reached out to Jewish communities abroad to collect books and publications related to the war. A total of 392 such works were received from overseas, bringing the library’s collection of war-related books this year to 940.
However, only 30 of them are memorial books for victims and fallen soldiers—a relatively low figure, likely because most of these tributes are traditionally published closer to the first anniversary of their deaths. Some titles, especially those printed in fewer than 50 copies, may not have reached the library despite its encouragement to submit all publications.
A new record was set for prose and poetry, with 2,272 titles published in 2024—a figure partly explained by delayed releases from the end of 2023. Still, not all were original works. About half of the Hebrew-language fiction books published this year were translations.
Hebrew remained the dominant language of publication, accounting for about 90% of all titles—slightly down from 93.4% in 2023. Books in English made up 5%, a slight increase, and Arabic accounted for 2%, roughly the same as last year.
The National Library collected nearly 200 Arabic-language books this year, reflecting a 39% rise compared to 2023, when only 144 such books were received. A more significant increase was seen in Arabic children’s literature, which doubled from the previous year to comprise 6% of all children’s books published in 2024.
The report also shows a gender shift among authors: in 2024, women wrote 51.5% of all poetry and prose, overtaking male authors. In children’s and YA literature, 58% of books were written by women, though that marks a 10% drop from 2023.
