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Foundation of Library and Information Science

Notes It also procures foreign publications about the country; and by the authors of Indian
origin living abroad;

It compiles national bibliographies to disseminate information about literary output of
the country;
It works as an apex body of the national library system and coordinates with other libraries
in the country;
It develops and maintains different bibliographic data bases and works as a national
bibliographic centre;

It also exchanges data and documents at national and international level;
It produces national union catalogues, current, retrospective and subject bibliographies;
It makes provision for practical training of library professionals;

It procures and preserves manuscripts;
It also keeps photocopy collection of available documents for national and international
library lending;

It provides reading, lending, consulting facilities to researchers, writers and other users;
It works as a national referral centre of authentic information for all literary work of the
country and responds to all national and international queries from individuals as well as
from private and government organizations.
Apart from the above functions, we may give a fairly exhaustive list of the functions of a
National Library.

1. Functions Relating to Collection Development and Conservation: Two important and
exclusive features that distinguish a national library from other types of libraries are:

Its comprehensive collection of not only national outputs but also of documents
published outside the country that are about the nation;
The responsibility of preserving these documents for prosperity.
These two functions are unique to national libraries. These functions are spelled out
below:
To serve as a central and comprehensive collection of national output, acquired
through legal deposits, gifts or exchange;
To acquire and maintain documents about the country or its people or activities,
published outside the country by any national or in any language or form;

To collect and preserve select manuscripts and such other archival records of national
relevance and importance;

To collect foreign documents for which there may be demand from the people of the
country;
To collect and preserve specialised materials such as books for the blind, dramatic
compositions, engravings, medals, music compositions, cinematic films,
photographs, sound recordings, etc., if these materials are not being collected by
other agencies;
In sum, conserving the national intellectual and cultural heritage for the benefit of
the future.

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