LIBRARY OF YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY DESIGNATED UNITED NATIONS DEPOSITORY LIBRARY
Press Release
PI/924
LIBRARY OF YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY DESIGNATED UNITED NATIONS DEPOSITORY LIBRARY
19951221 The library of the Yerevan State University in Yerevan, Armenia has been designated a United Nations depository library, the first in the country, making it part of an international network of 353 libraries in 142 countries that brings United Nations documents and publications to users around the world.The Yerevan State University was founded in 1919. It has exchange programmes with more than 79 universities throughout the world. The University Library has a collection of more than 3 million volumes of monographs, periodicals and maps. It also has several specialized museums. The United Nations collection will be housed separately as a special collection.
Since 1946, the Dag Hammarskjöld Library at United Nations Headquarters in New York, which is part of the Department of Public Information (DPI), has arranged for the distribution of United Nations documents and publications to users around the world through its depository library system. At present, 49 depository libraries in Africa, 93 in Asia and the Pacific, 28 in Eastern Europe, 79 in Western Europe, 44 in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 52 in North America receive those materials, with the understanding that their collections will be maintained in good working order and be available to the public free of charge.
United Nations Member States, as well as non-members, are entitled to one "free depository", usually the national library in the capital city. In addition, the national parliamentary library, if open to the public, is also entitled to receive material free of charge. Other depository libraries pay a token annual contribution to receive United Nations documentation. Developing countries pay a significantly smaller amount.
The designation of depositories is carried out by the United Nations Publications Board. The degree of development of the requesting libraries and the overall geographic distribution of depository libraries in the countries concerned are among the criteria used.
United Nations professional librarians and information officers make periodic visits to the depository libraries to provide assistance and training in the management of the United Nations collection. In addition, special training seminars for depository librarians are periodically organized by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, DPI, New York, and by the library of the United Nations Office at Geneva.
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