This paper aims to analyze how preservation of and access to old and rare book collections are organized in public libraries in Serbia. The paper is based on an analysis of documents, a survey and qualitative interviews with librarians in Belgrade and Novi Sad. Serbia is a country that has experienced violent historical periods with far-reaching consequences for its old and rare book collections. The interpretative background refers to documents about cultural policy in Europe and in Serbia. Serbia is a country in transition which aims to join the European Union. As a consequence, the government has an ambition to harmonize its legislation and cultural policy to EU standards. Old and rare book collections are primarily preserved at the National Library of Serbia, at the Belgrade University Library and at the Matica Srpska Library in Novi Sad. In addition to this, the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate Library in Belgrade has many old and rare books and manuscripts, but it is not userfriendly. Digitization is a method used to both preserve and make accessible old and rare books, but it is still developed only to a limited degree. The National Library of Serbia is the pioneer of digitization in the country and it is the institution vested with responsibility for the preservation of cultural goods. The National Library has the ambition to become a portal of cultural heritage in the country. The paper concludes that the historical, political and cultural development in the country in a decisive way has influenced Serbia’s different book collections. / Program: Bibliotekarie