The history of creation. The North Kazakhstan Regional Universal Scientific Library named after S. Mukanov is the largest and oldest in the North of Kazakhstan.  The library has a rich history since 1934, when, according to the decree of the bureau of the Karaganda Regional Party Committee dated April 15, 1934, the Karaganda Regional Library was opened on the basis of the Petropavlovsk City Central Library. In 1936, in connection with the formation of the North Kazakhstan region, the institution was renamed the North Kazakhstan Regional Library.

The book collections of the Peter and Paul Public Library, private collections known by several generations of merchant families, pre–revolutionary educational institutions formed the basis of the initial fund, which is presented in the Museum of Rare Books. These are more than 3,000 rare printed publications of the XVIII-XX centuries, representing cognitive and historical value. 

At first, the main forms of work were bookselling and mobile libraries.  In April 1973, she received a new standard building, built with the assistance of an honorary citizen of Petropavlovsk, a classic of Kazakh literature, academician Sabit Mukanov. By the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR dated May 23, 1973, the regional library was named after the writer.

With the move to the new building, new industry departments appeared: natural science and agricultural literature, art literature, literature in foreign languages, periodicals hall, interlibrary subscription, book depository. With the opening of the local history sector in the library, its local history activities, especially educational ones, have become multifaceted and diverse.

A huge breakthrough in librarianship occurred in the second half of the 90s. At the beginning of 1996, the cultural institution began to develop and implement information technologies.

The library's collection consists of 653723 copies of books, newspapers, magazines, audio and video materials, and electronic publications. It is replenished annually with 10 thousand copies of documents.

Unique editions:

One Hundred Russian writers: Vol. 1. - St. Petersburg:Alexander Smirdin's printing house, 1839. - 830 p.

Groundwater of Kokchetavsky, Akmola and Atbasar counties of Akmola region. - St. Petersburg. Typolithography "Anchor", 1907. - 154 p.

Zhukovsky, Vasily Andreevich. Writings / V.A. Zhukovsky.  St. Petersburg : [B.I.], 1878. - Vol. 6. Prose (1835-1852) and letters (1799-1852).- 688 p.

The Kazakh SSR. Administrative-territorial division on January 1, 1945.  Alma-Ata: KazOGIZ, 1946. - 104 p.

Tronov, V. D. Customs and customary law of the Kyrgyz/ V. D. Tronov. — Separate impression of issue 2, 17 vol. Notes of the Russian Geographical Society on the Department of Ethnography, edited by N.I. Veselovsky. — St. Petersburg: P.O. Yablonsky Steam Printing House, 1891.

Regional Children's and Youth Library named after G. Musrepov

1963 was the year of formation of the regional children's library.

1979 was the year of the opening of the regional youth library.

1997 was the year of the merger of the regional children's and regional youth libraries.  

2002 – in the year of the 100th anniversary of the writer Gabit Musrepov, the library was named after him.

The total fund is 2,15627 copies.

Rare editions - 30 copies

In the collection of rare copies there are pre-revolutionary editions: F. Encyclopedic dictionaries.Brockhaus and I.Efron, books by A.P. Chekhov, I.S.Turgenev, V.V. Mayakovsky and other unique books. Books with autographs by S.Zhunusov, R.Seisenbaev, M.Sarsek, M.Shakhanov, S.Shaimerdenov, V.Kozlov, A. Pryanikov and others are also valuable.

A special library for the blind and visually impaired citizens of Petropavlovsk

A special library for the blind and visually impaired citizens of Petropavlovsk was opened in 1972 as the city library No. 13. The fund was formed by specialized literature for the blind, i.e. relief-point and "audiovisual" and subsequently replenished from two sources: the city budget and the society of the blind. 

In January 1988, the library received the status of a regional library. In July 2002, by order of the Akim of the North Kazakhstan region, the special library became the city library. Due to the reorganization of the Department of Culture, since 2008, the special library has been one of the branches of the KSU "I. Shukhov Central City Library". 

The library is located in the building of the Petropavlovsk Children's Social Service Center KSU at 225 Zhambyl Street.

General fund for 1.01.2024 book fund: 43040 copies.

By type of publications: electronic publications -1307

Flat-printed -11211

Voiced by -14495

Relief-point-14825

Records-1202