NATIONAL LIBRARY OF VIETNAM

On January 5^th 2019, the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) helda Conference to reviewits activities in 2018 and deploy the tasks in 2019.

Attending the Conference were Mrs. Trinh Thi Thuy - Member of the Party Executive Committee, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST); Mr. Nguyen Tuan Linh - Director, Chairmanof the MoCST's Trade Union; Mrs. Vu Duong Thuy Nga - Director ofthe Library Department; Mr. Le Ngoc Trung - Deputy Director of the Emulation and Reward Department, MoCST; the Directoral Board, officials and employeesof the NLV.

Overview of the Conference

The conference has discussed and evaluated the achievements and limitations of the work in 2018 and set out the direction and operation plan for 2019. It is clearly stated in the conference’sreport that: In 2018, the NLV has effectively implemented its targets and working plans, achieved the outstanding achievements as follows:

- Well implemented the policy of streamlining apparatus, job positionsarrangement, and reduction in personnel according to the Politburo Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW of the 6^thPlenumof the 12^thParty Central Committee. The work of reviewing and arranging the organizational structure was carried out cautiously, associated with the implementation of reducingthestaff, arranging job positions, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the workflow; at the same time, innovatedthe leadership and management methods, associated with reviewing the functions and tasks of the libraryandmatchingthe actual conditions of the industry. Whilemaking the job positionsarrangement, the NLV hasalways ensured thestabilityof employees' psychologyin order tonot affect the general operation of the library;

- Activities of collecting, receiving book depository publications, doctoral thesis, acquiring materials have beenwell interestedin and maintained; activity ofmaterial technical processing increased from 21% to 36% compared to the year plan; the construction of digital materials and supplement online databases have been strengthened contributing to developing the NLV’s information resources;

- Innovated the library services, expanded the audience of readers. The reading service for children has broughtpositive effects, beinghighly concerned and appreciated by the society. The number of membership cards increased 16% compared to 2017. The work of information and propagationfor political events and promotion activities fordevelopment of reading culture havebeen effectively implemented. Successfully organized the annual Book Festival Day 2018 themed"Books - Knowledge creates the future"with many meaningful and in-depth activities. The festivalwerehighly recognizedand appreciated by central agencies, readers, and public;

- Promotedthe activity of science research and professional guidance for libraries throughout the country. Successfully organized 4 Training Courses on application of the cataloging rules"Resource Description and Access" - Vietnamese edition for librarians. The work of supporting local librarieshas been interested inand focused. In 2018, the NLV has donated 8,397 copies of books to difficult libraries; distributed 37,565 copies of books sponsored by The Asia Foundation for 148 public libraries, specialized libraries and university libraries;

- International cooperation activities of the NLV brougt high efficiency, contributing to affirm position and prestige of the NLV to the international community. The NLV successfully hosted the “IFLA Global Vision Workshop for Asia and Oceania” chaired bythe International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)forleaders of National Libraries, Library Associations in Asia and Oceania; well supporting librarians throughout the country to attend the 17th Southeast Asian Library Congress in Myanmar;

- Timely organizedsessions to learn and thoroughly graspedResolutions ofthe 7^thPlenumof the 12^thParty Central Committee; continuedto implement the Resolutionsof the 12^thParty Central Committee, promoting “Learning and following President Ho Chi Minh's thoughts, morals, and style”. The activities of unionshave also achieved remarkable resultsthank to the concern, direction and facilitationof the Party Committee and the library leaders.  Such organizations as the Trade Union, the Youth Union, and the VeteransAssociation branch have attached their organizations’ activities to professional activities to constitute an integrated power, contributing to the NLV more and more sustainable development.

Promoting the results achieved in 2018,the conference has adopted the directions and tasks in 2019 with the following contents:Enhance the ideology education, timely grasp the ideological situation and general activity of the library;quickly disseminate the domestic and international news, the socio-economic situation of the country; follow closely the emulation content, successfully accomplish professional tasks, achieve and over-fulfil norms by 20-30%; well complete the task of propagandizing for major politic events and cultural exchange activities of the country; organize the 2019 Book Festival- the annual activityof the library, actively contribute to encourage readingin the social community; strengthen development of digital resources and reference information collections; implement the project of developing the National Standard and register scientific researchwork; continue gather and build the bibliography of Vietmamese Doctoral Thesis;makeplan and proposethe Ministry leaders the NLV’s plan for improvingthe electronic library management software; actively engagein fulfilling its membership responsibilities to such Library Associations/Forums as IFLA, RFN, CDNL, CDNL-AO, CONSAL, etc.; cordinate with the northerninvestment and construction project management board on the project “Renovation and upgrading the whole NLV campus – phase I”; maintainthe effective and qualityimplementation of projects funded by the Government Budget and projects received financial support from foreign sources, etc.

Speaking at the Conference, Mrs. Trinh Thi Thuy - Member of the Party Executive Committee, Deputy Minister of MoCST has recognized, praised and appreciated the results achieved by the  NLV on the implementation of the professional activities and other activities in 2018. Activities in the professional field have beendrastically and responsibly directed by the library’s leaders anddivisions, with the unity of officials and employees. Despite difficulties and obstacles, the NLV has seriously implemented and achieved important results in the activitiesofacquiring materials, professional materials processing, preservation, readerservices,science research and professional guidance, IT application, union’sactivities, etc.. Shecompletely agreedwith proposalsandrecommendationsof the NLV as well as 5 proposals of 2 employee’s speeches, especially the proposal onscienceresearch and professional guidance. The Deputy Minister proposedthe NLV, in 2019,continues to maintain and further promoteits role as theleading library inapplication of information technology in library activities; well conduct the professional guidance for libraries throughout the country; focus on advertising, introducing and facilitating readers to access to the rare and precious resources of the NLV; explore, create and expand new operating models to improve service quality, attract readers to the libraryand increase material circulation; take the initiative and direct the implementation of the projects approved by the Prime Minister, including theproject todevelop reading culture in the community, promote lifelonglearning activities in libraries, etc.; pay attention to training professionaltechnique, foreign languagesand soft skills for officials and employees, especially skills of using information technology in the era of industrial revolution 4.0; research and applyinternational standards in the professional activities of the library, developthelibrary standards to complete the operationalstandards for the industry; expand the international cooperation activities to promote professional exchange in order to affirm the position of  the Viet Nam library sector in general and the NLV in particular; coordinate with MoCST agencies to implement the approved projects, while improvingsupervision, ensuring the progress and quality of the project. The Deputy Ministeralso expected that all leaders,officials and employees of the NLV continue to unite, unify and strivetoachieve more achievements in professional activities, aswell as Party and union activities.

On the same day, theNLV's Party Committeehas reviewed its activitiesin 2018. During theyear, the NLV's Party Committeehas always paid attentionto and facilitated the activitiesof the library’s unions; promptly propagatedand disseminatedthe Party's directionsand guidelines, the State's policies and laws; graspedthe situation and ideas of the party members, officials and employees of the library; promotededucation, raisedawareness, ideology, morality, lifestyle, responsibility of party members; well performedthe task of creating sources and admittednew party members; promotedtradition, preservedinternal solidarity, unifyedawareness and actionamong the entire Party Committee. In 2019, the NLV’s Party Committee is going tocontinue deployingthe action program to implement the 12^thParty Congress Resolution and the Politburo Directive, creatively apply the directions of the 12^thParty Congress to solve practical problems; strictly implement the Directive No.5 of the Politburo, issuedon May 15 2016, on “Enhancing studying and following President Ho Chi Minh'sthoughts, morals, and style” associated with implementingthe Central Resolution 4 “Some urgentissues in Party building nowadays”; and Resolution No. 02-NQ/DUK of the Party Committee, issuedon October 27 2016, on “Innovating methods, improving quality of learning, thoroughly grasping the Party's resolution in the Party Committee of Central agencies” to the whole party members and employees; regularly taking measures to grasp the ideological situation of party members, officials and employees, detect problems and solutions; continueto improve the quality ofparty’scell activities according to Resolution 01-NQ/DUK on August 19, 2016 of the Party Committee on “Improving quality of the party cell in the Party Committee of Central agencies”;Improvethe quality of development party membership etc.

Photos of the same event:

Mrs. Nguyen Ngoc Anh - Deputy Director of the NLV delivering the Summary Reportof activities in 2018, tasks and directionsin 2019

Mr. Nguyen Trong Phuong - Acting Head of Science Research and Professional Guidance Division speaking at the Conference

Mrs. Tran Thi Phuong Lan - Head of Reading Division speaking at the Conference

Mrs. Trinh Thi Thuy - Member of the Party Executive Committee, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism delivering speech atthe Conference

Mrs. Trinh Thi Thuy - Member of the Party Executive Committee, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarding the Minister’sCertificates of Merit to the Divisions successfully accomplished tasksin 2018

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Linh - Chairman of the MoCST's Trade Union awarding the Minister’s Certificates of Merit to the individuals achieving excellent performance in 2 consecutive years

Mr. Le Ngoc Trung - Deputy Director of the Emulation and Reward Department awarding the NLV's reward decisions to good divisions in 2018

Mrs. Trinh Thi Thuy - Member of the Party Executive Committee, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarding the Certificates of Merit to the individuals achieved the Title of Emulative Soldiers at grassroots level in 2018

Mrs. Trinh Thi Thuy - Member of the Party Executive Committee, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarding the Certificates of Meritto the individuals achieved the Title of Emulative Soldiers at grassroots level in 2018

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Dung - Deputy Secretary the NLV’s Party Committee delivering the Party’s Summary Report in 2018, tasks and direction in 2019

Comrade Kieu Thuy Nga – Member of the MoCST’s Party Commitee, Secretary of the NLV’s Party Committee speaking at the Conference on reviewing the workof the Partyin 2018 and deploying the tasks in 2019

Comrade Kieu Thuy Nga – Secretary of the Party Committee of the NLV awarding the Certificates of Merit for the best Party Cell in 2018

The party members successfully completing the tasks in2018 receiving the Certificate of Merit from the Party Committee of the NLV

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News: Thanh Ha; Photos: Hung Manh