The activities of the Publicity Department (established in 1949) covers organising local and international exhibitions and events, tours of the library exhibitions, visual advertising, publication of promotion and informative materials.

One of the most popular means for promoting the treasures collected by the Library is exhibitions. The exhibitions mounted by the department are large scale and thematically closely linked to the events in Latvian culture scene.

Exhibitions held abroad have an important role. Significant exchange of exhibitions has taken place with the national libraries of the Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia and other countries. For example, an exhibition and a sizeable catalogue “Five Centuries of Latvian” – Czech Literary Ties were created in cooperation with Charles University in Prague and the Czech National Library.

In 2006 and 2007 the exhibition Art Nouveau in Latvia as hugely successful and very popular among the visitors in the Netherlands, Germany, Belorussia and Estonia. The exhibition dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia The History of Latvia in Caricatures at the end of 2007 was offered to the interested visitors in the Hague (Netherlands), but in 2008 – in Oulu (Finland) and Prague (the Czech Republic).

The exhibition The Art of Latvian Books, created in cooperation with Valdis Villerušs, professor of Latvian Academy of Arts, researcher of books, was shown in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Croatia. The materials of the exhibition are available also in the form of a CD, published by the Library.

The Library has developed good cooperation with the Embassies of the USA, the Czech Republic, Israel, Canada, Norway, Sweden and others. Since mid 1990s the NLL participates in international book fairs in Latvia and abroad.

The average number of exhibitions created annually by the specialised departments and reading-rooms is 30. To mark the International Day of Books, the NLL in 2007 launched the tradition of The Library Month.

In 2007 the NLL for the first time participated in the joint event of European museums The Museum Night with a thematic performance Here Centuries Meet. The visitors were offered an attractive insight into the collections of Rare Books and Manuscripts, Letonica, Cartography and Periodicals. In 2008 at 5 Anglikāņu Street as part of the Year of the German Culture the event Spässe und Speise bei Christopf Haberland was held, the visitors could acquaint themselves with the buildings built by the German builder, the German Baltic publications and music recordings held in the collection of the Library.