LIBRARIES IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION, CHINA DESIGNATED UNITED NATIONS DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES

LIBRARIES IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION, CHINA DESIGNATED

UNITED NATIONS DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES

Two libraries, located in the Russian Federation and China, have been designated United Nations depository libraries, becoming part of an international network of 408 libraries in 145 countries and territories that brings United Nations documents and publications to users around the world.  They are Mari State University (Yoshkar-Ola, Russian Federation) and Liaoning University (Liaoning, China).

Mari State University in Yoshkar-Ola becomes the fourth United Nations depository library in the Russian Federation.  Founded in 1972, Mari State University is situated in the capital of the autonomous Republic of Mari El, approximately 850 km from Moscow.  The University has nearly 4,000 students and a teaching staff of 384.  The Library of the Faculty of Law, which will hold the UN deposit, was established by a presidential order in 1996 as the State-Legal Library of the Mari El Republic.  With a collection of about 30,000 volumes and

80 serial titles, its 10 professional librarians provide library services to about 400 users every day, including representatives of local authorities and State government bodies.  One of the librarians will work to maintain the UN deposit, which consists of online access to the full text of parliamentary documents and printed publications in English and Russian.

Liaoning University, situated in the capital city of the Province of Liaoning, becomes the twenty-first United Nations depository library in China.  The University has about 12,400 students at undergraduate and graduate levels.  The library of the university, which provides service to 2,000 regular users, holds approximately 40,000 monographs in Chinese and English and 45 periodical titles.  One professional librarian will be assigned to the UN deposit, which consists of online access to the full text of parliamentary documents as well as Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) masthead documents and publications in Chinese.

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 406 United Nations depository libraries:  55 are located in Africa, 111 in Asia and the Pacific, 19 in Western Asia, 31 in Eastern Europe, 81 in Western Europe, 51 in Latin America and the Caribbean and 58 in North America.  These libraries receive United Nations materials, with the understanding that their collections will be maintained in good order and made available to the general 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 than developed countries.

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 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.

* *** *