Public library legislation

For a public library system

The public library, the local gateway to

knowledge, provides a basic condition for

lifelong learning, independent decision-

making and cultural development of the

individual and social groups.

The internationally accepted definition of a public library

it is a library which is:

(i) is financed out of public funds;

(ii) charges no fees from readers and yet is open

for full use by the public without distinction

of caste, creed or sex;

(iii) is intended as an auxiliary educational

institution providing a means of self

education which is endless;

(iv) houses learning materials giving reliable

information freely and without partiality or

prejudice on as wide a variety of subjects as will

satisfy the interests of readers.

While the process of public library legislation was

in progress in Great Britain, Edward Edwards,

pioneer of the public library in Great Britain,

summed up their built-in failure over a hundred

years ago, in evidence to the Select Committee on

Public Libraries of the House of Commons in

1849:

New libraries should be formed in a catholic

spirit. They should be freed from all

dependence either in gifts or in current

'subscriptions', for their permanent support.

New institutions and their management

should stand entirely aloof from party

influences in politics or religion,

the maintenance must be by rate, levied

on the whole tax-paying community, and

administered by its elective and

responsible functionaries.

a legal basis was necessary, if the public

library was to be a permanent institution.

on the implications of this statement most

of the public library legislation of the

nineteenth century and early twentieth

century was founded.

But when Unesco revised the Manifesto in

1994 it took care of the issue of equal

opportunity to all citizens to use the

services of public libraries.

incorporating the guidelines / principles:

Funding, legislation and networks

The public library shall in principle be free

of charge. The public library is the

responsibility of local and national

authorities

It must be supported by specific legislation

and financed by national and local

governments.

It has to be an essential component of any

long-term strategy for culture, information

provision, literacy and education

legislation and strategic plans must also

define and promote a national library

network based on agreed standards of

service.

The public library network must be

designed to ensure nationwide library

coordination and cooperation in relation to

national, regional, research and special

libraries as well as libraries in schools,

colleges and universities.

A clear policy must be formulated, defining

objectives, priorities and services in relation

to the local community needs.

The public library has to be organized

effectively and professional standards of

operation must be maintained.

Operation and management

Cooperation with relevant partners - user

groups and other professionals - at local,

regional, national as well as international

level has to be ensured.

Services have to be physically accessible to

all members of the community

This requires well situated library buildings,

good reading and study facilities, as well as

relevant technologies and sufficient opening

hours convenient to the users.

It equally implies outreach services for

those unable to visit the library.

The library services must be adapted to the

different needs of communities in rural and

urban areas.

Outreach and user education programmes

have to be provided to help users benefit

from all the resources.

The librarian is an active intermediary

between users and resources.

Professional and continuing education of

the librarian is indispensable to ensure

adequate services.

The Ibadan seminar (Nigeria, 1953)

organized by UNESCO resolved that only

legislation could provide the necessary

secure and permanent foundation of a

public library system

Only legislation can empower the

appropriate authorities to provide the

service, and

ensure adequate financial support and

efficient administration according to a

national standard.

Only legislation can define the functions of

the providing authority, create the

conditions in which it may fulfil those

functions, and ensure development.

Legislation would be mandatory whenever conditions become favourable:

the possession of necessary finance and all requisite material by the providing authority,

the existence of a tested organization, and

the presence of trained and experienced personnel.

Above all , compulsory primary education is a preceding factor.

But the Ibadan statement kept silent about

the administrative unit on which

implementation must depend, or financial

problems,

but it did prescribe mandatory legislation

under favourable conditions

since it was recognized that permissive

legislation might well allow for a high

standard to be set by enthusiastic

authorities, which would act as an

inspiration to others

IFLA memorandum on the development of

public library services (1955) recommends

that each State should adopt library law.

Appropriate local authorities must be

empowered to expend public funds for

public library purposes and the amount of

local expenditure should not be limited.

all the services provided must be available to

all inhabitants free of any charge whatsoever.

Each local authority should have power

to appoint staff who shall be employed in

accordance with the conditions and

regulations applicable to other local

government officers.

IFLA statement also proposed permissive

legislation

it did not make any proposals about central

control, the size of the administrative area,

or financial viability of local authority areas.

it did not mention the vital problem of

minimum expenditure.

Delhi seminar (1955) accepted the proposals:

Over-all control and co-operation of

development, to provide for a permanent

and progressive national public library

service, can be obtained only by legislation.

Opportunity for the development of public

library service will be available to all people

on the basis of free and equal access.

An independent service and not one

attached to another department

The constitution of a governing body as the

central library board or in a federal state a

number of such bodies, subject to a national

body with advisory functions.

Delhi seminar proposals refer to the private

partnership in founding and maintaining

public library services.

but affirm that planned direction and

control are now required, and that these

cannot be achieved by subsidy to private

organizations

Legislation provide for over-all control,

viable areas and financial support at

national and local level

The search for an convenient / appropriate

and viable administrative unit as the real

basis for the development of public library

services is a matter of some importance.

It should be a viable area as regards finance

and administration, and at the same time,

should conform as far as possible to existing

local govt. boundaries in both urban and

rural districts.

1) the nature of the State itself and

the place that legislation takes in its

structure

2) the nature of the authority by which

national government passes on its

responsibilities

pre-consideration of legislation

3) the constitutional rights of

established organisms within in a

federal State where the doctrine of ultra

vires not apply and local government

may establish any service they are

not specifically forbidden to do,

public libraries may exist perfectly

legally by local legislation in Germany,

Netherlands and Belgium,

but this in turn will cause difficulties in

framing a general law.

The Indian Panchayat Raj system of local

government is a traditional form incorporated

into the local government system of a

modern State,

organized generally on the English pattern

characterized by decentralization with local

bodies with more independent powers, as

against concentration in the French pattern.

4) Educational situation

5) Language and book production

6) Population density and concentration

7) Income and tax structure at local and national level

8) Existing legislation

9) Trained librarians and training facilities:

Opportunities for training abroad must also

be considered.

In India and Pakistan, facilities for

training and qualification are in advance

of employment possibilities in the public

sector-not only bad planning but wasteful

public policy

10) An integrated library service with different

types of libraries may be considered,

But it would tend to stifle the growth of public

library service.

11) There is an obvious need for provision for

cooperation and coordination, probably best

roganised around the national / state library.

12) A central authority charged with

carrying out the provisions of legislation is

a modern device of government much

used in developing countries.

Should it be an independent body or one

linked to, or subordinate to, a

government department?

if education is chosen as the implementing

and organizing department, then a section

including trained librarians is essential, with

advisory and inspecting functions.

13) Permissive or mandatory legislation

permissive legislation is of limited effectiveness, even when accompanied by financial inducements.

But provision should be made for progressive implementation at a rate to be determined by resources and other conditions already mentioned.

14) The size of the unit

what unit, what size and with what authority?

the appropriate local authority must eventually be

given a responsible place in any national scheme

of book service.

The roots of the service must be in the local

community rather than in the state, regional or

national headquarters.

15) Finance public funds - taxation.

any unit at local level must be a tax-raising body, and provision for funds from taxation at a national level must be written into any legislation.

In a federal system, another stage of financial support will be introduced.

What we notice in nearly all recent legislation is -

1) the search for a larger and more viable unit of

service, which must be geographically and

financially able to deploy larger resources for

public library services – and

2) creation of a central advisory body to

encourage improvement of public library services

Permissive legislation is replaced by mandatory

legislation in most countries.

In UK and Scandinavian countries, mandatory

provision is not necessary since coverage is

already complete.

In Canada and USA, though the provision is not

mandatory, the problem is no longer one of

provision, but of viability.

In all the recent legislation, the intervention

of the central govt. either at state or federal

level or both has led to the setting up of a

central body to guide future progress.

The central library body may take many

forms, either advisory / executive.

The central library councils are an advisory in all

the Scandinavian countries and UK. They are

consulted in all matters of importance to the

working of libraries and gave the right to initiate

representation.

But in Ireland, Canada and USA, it can be said to

be executive body with potentially great powers.

Another feature of the recent legislation is

the provision of grant-in-aid on a generous

scale from federal/state to the local library

fund

to persuade authorities to improve their

services and also to enter into cooperative

agreements of some kind.

In Denmark, Finland and Norway grants to libraries and grants

for regional services have been progressively increased.

In USA, federal legislation provides grants to the local library

authorities through the states which in turn must contribute

similar sums.

In UK, there are general contributions to local authority funds.

Canada shows an increasing and complex system of grant-in-

aid from the state.

India is a very large country with a predominantly rural population, a small per capita income and a number of recognized languages. India is a federal State

provision of public libraries is reserved to the states and is their sole responsibility.

Even grants under the five-year plans, given specifically in the past for public library development

The legal powers to take over the many private or association libraries are also limited

To bring them into the public sector would require separate legislation which is unlikely to be voted.

the Advisory Committee of 1959 proposed an All-India Library Advisory Council, with an executive committee nominated by the Minister of Education, and a secretariat consisting of a division of libraries in the Ministry of Education.

There is a national Ministry of Education, and it could be given co-ordinating functions.

It also suggested that the Government of lndia should contribute to the library funds of the state an amount equal to funds raised by property tax.

Presumably, these proposals would require legislation at national level.