LIBRARIES IN CHINA, KUWAIT AND TUNISIA DESIGNATED UNITED NATIONS DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES
Press Release
PI/1019
LIBRARIES IN CHINA, KUWAIT AND TUNISIA DESIGNATED UNITED NATIONS DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES
19970728 Three libraries, located in China, Kuwait and Tunisia, have been designated United Nations depository libraries, becoming part of a network of 359 libraries in 141 countries and territories that brings United Nations documents and publications to users around the world. They are the Library of the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing, the National Library of Kuwait and the Library of the Faculté des Sciences Juridiques, Politiques et Sociales de Tunis (Tunis II).The Foreign Affairs College, located in Beijing, was founded in 1955 and is the only institution of higher learning under China's Foreign Ministry. It is the fifth United Nations depository library to be designated in China. The mission of the college is to train its students for professional careers in diplomacy, foreign affairs, international economics and international law. As a specialized library with over 220,000 monographs in English, Chinese, French, Japanese and Russian, it subscribes to Chinese and foreign newspapers, as well as to serials in the field of diplomacy, international relations and foreign languages. Its facilities include photocopiers, microphotography equipment, microfiche readers, CD-ROM equipment and online access to external databases. The library has a staff of 28 professional librarians and 1,500 registered users, most of whom would be interested in the United Nations collection.
The National Library of Kuwait, founded in 1936, is the third United Nations depository library to be designated in the country. In addition to a collection of over 150,000 volumes, its facilities include microform readers and printers, scanners, photocopiers, CD-ROM equipment and a reading room that covers 400 square metres. To enhance its outreach activities, the library is currently developing a local area network (LAN). The library has a staff of 33, as well as 20,000 registered readers, 3,000 of whom are expected to conduct research in the United Nations collection.
The Library of the Faculté des Sciences Juridiques, Politiques et Sociales de Tunis (Tunis II), Tunisia's second United Nations depository library, has a collection of 22,000 volumes of monographs and theses in Arabic and French, and subscribes to 575 serials. Its facilities include networked computers, CD-ROM equipment, photocopiers and several reading rooms. The library's staff of 13 is supported by a faculty committee. It is estimated that over 1,500 readers a year will use the United Nations collection.
- 2 - Press Release PI/1019 28 July 1997
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, there are 359 United Nations depository libraries: 52 are located in Africa, 99 in Asia and the Pacific, 29 in Eastern Europe, 82 in Western Europe, 45 in Latin America and the Caribbean and 52 in North America. These libraries receive United Nations materials, with the understanding that their collections be maintained in good working order and made 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 in New York and by the Library of the United Nations Office at Geneva.
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