Malaysia legislation
Section 4
Section 4
(2)
The Director General shall have the following functions:
(a)
to advise the Minister on national policy on all matters pertaining to libraries and all other matters relating to libraries;
(b)
to advise and assist in the national planning and development of libraries;
(c)
to acquire and maintain a comprehensive national collection of library resources reflecting the intellectual, literary and cultural heritage of the nation as well as a representative national collection reflecting the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of mankind;
(d)
to establish within the Library—
(i)
the National Depository for the storage and conservation of library resources received;
(ii)
the National Bibliographic Centre for the maintenance of the national bibliographic network, the national bibliographic data base and the provision of national bibliographic and documentation services;
(iii)
the National Centre for Malay manuscripts for the acquisition, documentation and use of Malay manuscripts;
(e)
to provide reference, information, referral, reprographic and lending services;
8
(f)
to provide facilities within the Library to enable it to function as—
(i)
the national focal point for the national information system;
(ii)
the national centre for the lending and exchange of library resources in order to promote the national and universal availability of publications;
(g)
to promote and co-ordinate the development and use of the library resources of the nation;
(h)
to promote and facilitate the establishment of a nation-wide system of public libraries in keeping with national standards of provision;
(i)
to promote the establishment of a network of special libraries in keeping with national standards of provision;
(j)
to promote and facilitate national and international co-operation and resource sharing among libraries;
(k)
to undertake and facilitate research on matters concerning libraries;
(l)
to provide training in order to upgrade professionalism in library matters;
(m)
to promote and facilitate the inculcation of the reading habit;
(n)
to co-operate with the relevant agencies in order to promote and upgrade the use and development of Bahasa Malaysia;
(o)
to co-operate with professional and other bodies at national and international level for the development of libraries;
(p)
to lend, sell or otherwise dispose of library resources forming part of the Library;
(q)
to do such other things as may be deemed necessary to give effect to the objectives referred to in section 3.
(3)
There shall be appointed from time to time such officers as may be necessary or considered expedient for the purpose of this
Act.
National Library 9