On September 13th 2018, the delegation of the National Assembly (NA) Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children (CCEYAC) paid an official visit to the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) to survey the implementation of the Library Ordinance of the library. The delegation included Ms. Hoang Thi Hoa - Vice Chairwoman of the CCEYAC; Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung - Standing Member of the CCEYAC, Mr. Phan Viet Luong - Standing Member of the CCEYAC; Mr.Vu Minh Dao - Director of the Department of Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children (DCEYAC); Ms. Nguyen Thi Sau – Deputy Director of the DCEYAC; Ms. Doan Quynh Dung - Deputy Director of the Library Department; Mr. Nguyen Huu Gioi - President of Vietnamese Library Association and experts of the NA Office and Library Department. Welcoming the delegation were Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga - Director of the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) and the Deputy Directors, Head of the library’s divisions.
On behalf of the NLV, Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga presented a report on the implementation of the Library Ordinance. The promulgation of the Library Ordinance and its guiding documents has created a consistent and united legal corridor for development of the library activities. The regulations are generally consistent with Vietnamese and international legal system, creating foundation for Viet Nam library activities integrate into the region and the world library communities; and at the same time are also important tools for strengthening the state management of libraries. The Library Ordinance was born since 2000, so far it has revealed several limitations such as some stipulates are no longer consistent with current legal document system, many contents no longer meet the requirements for library development, some contents haven’t been defined yet which cause difficulties for the library management bodies themselves as well as for operation of the libraries in our country.
In order to improve contents of the Library Law and the legal document system about libraries, thereby create a solid legal corridor for performing the library activities effectivelty, and make momentum for developing the library industry in line with general trends of the region and the world’s libraries, the NLV suggested some recommendations as follows:
- To promulgate the Library Law soon with attention to one of the important contents about classifying library types should be based on functions and tasks of the library, but not based on the subject of investment, should based on the international integration view and learned the way to classify library types of other libraries in the world. In which, the National Library of Viet Nam should be considered as a special library type but should not be included in the public library system as current, and simultaneously, it must be operated in line with the general trends of national libraries in the world as being stated in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) documents published in 1991 about the Role of national libraries in the information environment, which outlines 12 common functions of the national libraries including two important functions: To implement the national guidance for library and information activities; To be the center of the library career and the main driving force of library development.
- Should remove regulations on ranking libraries. The objective of the Library Law is to create a legal corridor to promote investment and development of libraries, but the current regulations on library ranking haven’t solved this problem in practice yet.
- To improve and promulgate new legal documents related to state policies on libraries such as preferential treatment, harmful allowances, allowances, etc.. To give instructions about financial management regulations and state investment policies for public libraries. To continue to amend or promulgate the model regulations.
- It is necessary to redefine the functions and tasks of the Library Department and the National Library of Viet Nam, particularly for the content of professional guidance. Accordingly, the Library Department is responsible for providing guidances on strategies, policies and regulations relating to library activities, and the National Library of Viet Nam gives guidances on professional skills and technical issues of the library industry.
- To collaborate with relevant stakeholders to promulgate policies and guidelines on implementing the services of digitization and duplication of the library documents. These are the problems that our libraries are in trouble and have different way of understanding, causing difficulties for the library operation in the digital age.
The delegation highly appreciated the results of implementing the Library Ordinance of the NLV. The recommendations of the NLV will be an important channel for the construction and improvement of the library policies and legislation, also contributes to continue affirming the importance roles of the library industry in the cultural and spiritual life of all classes of people.
Photos of the event:
Ms. Hoang Thi Hoa - Vice Chairwoman of the NA Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children chairs the survey
Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga - Director of the NLV presents report on the implementation of the Library Ordinance
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung - Standing Member of NA Committeefor Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Childrenspeaksat the survey
Mr. Phan Viet Luong - Standing Member of NA Committeefor Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Childrenspeaksat the survey
Mr. Vu Minh Đao - Director of the Department of Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, NAOfficespeaks at the survey
Ms. Nguyen Thi Sau – Vice Director of Department of Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, NAOffice speaks at the survey
Ms. Doan Quynh Dung - Deputy Director of the Library Department speaksat the survey
Mr. Nguyen Huu Gioi - President of Vietnamese Library Association speaks at the survey
Ông Nguyễn Trọng Phượng - Trưởng phòng Nghiên cứu và Hướng dẫn nghiệp vụ TVQG phát biểu tại buổi khảo sát
Delegates visit offices of the NLV
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News and photos: Hong Van