Reader & Information Services
The National Library offers a range of services to library visitors, researchers, publishers and other library and information institutions. The public reading room is available to all members of the public and has a wide selection of newspapers and periodicals to read and peruse. Trained Library staff are able to offer assistance to library visitors about the physical and digital collections as well as online resources available on the Library’s web portal.
Member Services
Library Membership operates on an annual basis. The cost for a one year membership is 30,000 kip (Lao people) or 50,000 kip (foreigners). To join the library, you will need one passport photo and some form of identification. Members of the Library are able to borrow a maximum of three books for up to two weeks at a time.
The library will be introducing public access to computers and the Internet via Wi-Fi services in 2016.
Outreach Services
The National Library raises community awareness of reading through our mobile library outreach services to schools, providing access to reading resources for primary students in remote areas of Laos.
These mobile library services include book buses specially made book boxes and book bags. To date, the Library has successfully delivered more than 7500 book boxes or what we call “Portable Libraries” to remote villages across Laos.
Reading Promotion
For the past 25 years, the National Library of Laos (NLL) has actively engaged with children in the community to promote reading for development in Laos.
Each year NLL promotes the benefits of reading through our International Children’s Day (1 June) and International Literacy Day (8 September) events. Our staff conducts activities for children including puppet shows, storytelling, drawing competitions and other games that encourage children to read for enjoyment.
National Bibliography
The NLL has maintained a National Bibliography of books published in the Lao language since 1975. It is an important function for Laos because it:
- is an important cultural and documentary record of all Lao language publications
- assists publishers by providing basic bibliographic data about its publication in a universally acceptable form, making it more easily available to international audiences
- helps libraries in the selection and acquisition of new materials
- serves as a reference source for librarians, researchers and bibliographers
Bibliography Service
The NLL Bibliography Services is available to other libraries, publishers and researchers requiring bibliographic data about Lao publications. It is currently implementing an online database at Kawinphong.com/show_data
Please contact Mrs Khanphathat Manotham khanphathat@yahoo.com for further information.
ISBN Service
The NLL is the national ISBN registration agency for Lao PDR. It has responsibility for creating, managing and maintaining registers of ISBN information and metadata in accordance with policies set out by the International ISBN Agency.
Why do I need an ISBN Number?
The purpose of an ISBN number is so that your publication has a unique identifier. This makes it much easier for booksellers, libraries, universities and book distributors to promote and or sell your publication.
How do I get an ISBN Number?
Legal Deposit
What is Legal Deposit?
The Legal Deposit Act allows the National Library of Laos to collect and preserve all Lao’s print publications.
The aim of the National Library of Laos is to make sure that the written cultural records of Lao can be read and enjoyed by future generations.
We work with publishers to ensure that the legal Deposit Scheme is a success for everyone.
Legal Deposit Act
Article 17 of the Library Law (2012) requires publishers to deposit at least 3 copies of every book published in Laos to the National Library.
What do I need to deposit?
Legal Deposit applies to all printed works published in Laos that are available to the public for sale or for free. This includes books, journals, maps, magazines and newspapers.
All works published in Laos are considered to be Lao, regardless of what language it is published in.
EResources
The National Library of Laos promotes lifelong learning. The following list provides links to free digital resources; databases for accessing information; learning English, eBooks and Lao related resources located in other libraries, information institutions and organisations: EResources.