Vietnam: Requirements for establishment of university libraries

Vietnam: Requirements for establishment of university libraries (Source: Internet)

1. What is a library?

- “library” means an institution of culture, information, education and science that develops, processes, stores, preserves and provides information resources for its users.

- “digital library” means a library or a part of a library whose information resources are digitally processed and stored and available to library users via electronic devices and the cyberspace.

(Clause 1, 2, Article 3 of Vietnam's Library Law 2019)

2. Types of libraries

Types of library:

- National Library of Vietnam;

- Public libraries;

- Special libraries;

- Libraries of Vietnam People’s Armed Force;

- Libraries of higher education institutions (“university libraries”);

- Libraries of institutions of preschool education, general education or vocational education and libraries of other educational institutions;

- Community libraries and private libraries open to the general public;

- Libraries of foreign organizations and individuals open to Vietnamese people.

(Clause 1, Article 9 of the Vietnam's Library Law 2019)

3. Requirements for establishment of university libraries

Pursuant to Article 16 of Vietnam's Decree 93/2020/ND-CP stipulating the conditions for establishing university libraries are as follows:

- Setting the goals of organizing and operating a library which are appropriate and fit into the functions and tasks specified in Article 14 in the Law on Libraries;

Accepting target users, including teachers, learners and employees of education institutions and other persons, wishing to use libraries according to library's rules and regulations.

- Having information resources, including textbooks, teaching materials, reference materials, newspapers, magazines relevant to each training major of an educational institution, which are processed according to the library's operational rules, meeting the requirements concerning the capacity to serve at least 60% of learners and teachers.

Requirements on library facilities and amenities:

Having library facilities and amenities conforming to the following requirements:

- Being located at the center of an educational institution, providing facilitation for users, especially people with disabilities;

- Having enough space for storing information resources, service areas, working zones for librarians and meeting other needs concerning processing of other library-related services;

- Ensuring that the reading spaces, including general-purpose and other reading rooms for library users cover an area of at least 200 m2;

- Ensuring that information technology infrastructure, network connection equipment, security equipment, peripheral and auxiliary equipment, local area network, and wide area network can meet the professional and operational needs of librarians and serve library’s users; implementing library interconnection, providing online and related services;

- Ensuring the installation of specialized equipment and means designed for information resources preservation, security, fire safety and prevention purposes.

Conditions for librarians to meet the requirements

Librarians must satisfy the following requirements:

- Having professional information - library qualification according to the standards of their work positions as prescribed by law;

- Having at least 70% of librarians who have already held at least associate degrees in information - library or other majors provided that they manage to obtain certificates of completion of information – library professional training courses issued by competent authorities or organizations;

- Having the capability of applying information technology to library operations or services, having the competence in supporting learners and teachers to search, exploit and use information resources inside and outside of a library.

Note: Libraries of national universities, in addition to meeting the conditions specified in Clauses 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this Article, must satisfy the conditions specified in Clauses 1, 2 and 3 of Article 3 of Vietnam's Decree 93/2020/ND-CP.

Ngoc Nhi

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