Definition: National libraries

Category: Culture

National libraries are libraries which, irrespective of their title, are responsible for acquiring and conserving copies of all significant publications published in the country and functioning as a "deposit" library, either by law or under other arrangements. They may also normally perform some of the following functions: produce a national bibliography; hold and keep up to date a large and representative collection of foreign literature, including books about the country in which the library is situated; act as a national bibliographical information centre; compile joint catalogues; publish the retrospective national bibliography. Libraries called "national" but whose functions do not correspond to the above definition should not be placed in the "national libraries" category.