National Library is considered the cultural and heritage preservation institution of any Nation. National Library is treasure of Knowledge for the any specific nations it origin, culture and contribution to knowledge by specific nation. This small article covers the following point about the National Library.
1. What is a National Library?
3. What are the characteristics of National Library?
3. What are the main functions of National Library?
4. What are the services of a National Library?
1. What is a National Library?
A national library is a library established by a government as a country’s preeminent repository of information. Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, or significant works. A national library is that library which has the duty of collecting and preserving the literature of the nation within and outside the country. Thus, national libraries are those libraries whose community is the nation at large.
2. What are the characteristics of National Library?
I) It is an unique library and symbol of national literature preservation.
II) Archive and maintain the National records unique it collection.
III) Preserving the cultural and intellectual heritage.
IV) Providing a locus for national cultural identity.
V) Support for the knowledge economy.
VI) Support for community development.
VII) Support for citizens and Leadership for the library system.
VIII) Support for education and lifelong learning.
3. What are the core functions of National Library?
Humphreys (1966) articulated seven fundamental functions of national libraries:
I. National bibliographic control
One of the main goals of a national library is fulfilling their nation’s part of the common international goal of universal bibliographic control, by ensuring the bibliographic control of all the books or book-like documents published in that particular country or talking about that particular country, in any way.
II. International Bibliographical Control
Another one of the main goals of many a national library is the “export aspect” and the collaborative sides of the universal bibliographic control of all the books in the world. This is done by the exchanges and accords between different Nations, and also by fostering the creation of standard conceptual tools such as library classification systems and cataloguing rules. The most commonly used of these tools is the International Standard Bibliographic Description or ISBD, which has served as a basis for national and international cataloguing codes, such as AACR2.
III. Legal deposit
National Library is also play vital role in the legal deposit of any national collections they endorse collection through author or content.
IV. Publication of Catalogue
An important function of National library is publication of catalogue. How many books published in the country?
V. The outstanding and central collection of a nation’s literature.
National Library also collect the outstanding and centre collection of the literature about its own country which is written the country or outside the country.
In developing policies to fulfil the role and purpose of the public library the emphasis should be on the services it provides
VI. Coverage of foreign literature.
It is also function and responsibility of National Library to collect and preserve the important foreign Literature published by any other country.
VII. Exhibitions.
National Library play very vital role in the exhibitions of national literature through different kind of activities like book launching ceremony, like book fair and seminars and seminars on national issues and events on different national days.
4. What are the services basic service provide a National Library?
I. Collection and preservation of documents of national interest and importance.
II. Bibliographic needs: creation of, and access to, records of publications.
III. Document provision: the national resource.
IV. Access to publications.
V. Exchange of publications.
VI. Access to information.
VII. Services to Academic, Public and special libraries and information units.
VIII. Leadership and advice to libraries and information units.
IX. Planning and coordination.
X. Education and training and Research and development.
XI. And many more services as per the need of the Nation.
How to Cite this Article
Ali, MY (26 Aug 2021). National Library: Characteristics, Functions and Services.https://profileusuf.wordpress.com/2021/08/25/nationallibrary/
References
Brindley L (2002) The role of national libraries in the twenty-first century. Bodleian Library Record 17 (6): 464–481.
Humphreys KN (1966) National library functions. UNESCO Bulletin for Libraries 20 (4): 158–169.
Line, M. B. (1989). National Library and Information Needs: Alternative Means of Fulfillment, with Special Reference to the Role of National Libraries.
Research Knowledge and Information 