Academic Journal
The importance of legislation in the provision of national and public library services in Zambia.
| Title: | The importance of legislation in the provision of national and public library services in Zambia. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Zulu, Paul, Ngoepe, Mpho, Saurombe, Nampombe |
| Source: | Journal of Librarianship & Information Science; Jun2017, Vol. 49 Issue 2, p152-164, 13p |
| Abstract: | Legislation plays an important role in the provision of national and public library services. In Zambia, however, libraries that perform the functions of national and public libraries are operating without a legislative mandate. As a result, there is fragmentation of library services as there is no single institution which performs all the functions of a national library service. Although several efforts have been made in the past to enact national library service legislation, no Act of Parliament has been passed to date (2015). This study provides empirical evidence depicting the benefits of having legislation in the provision of national and public library services. The study identifies institutions that perform functions of national and public library services in Zambia. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires administered to public library staff and interviews with senior government officials and executive members of the Zambia Library Association and Zambia Library Consortium. The study recommends that appropriate legislation that puts together the functions of public and national libraries under one institution be enacted in Zambia as soon as possible. Failure to transform this pattern will jeopardise the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Subject Terms: | PUBLIC libraries, NATIONAL libraries, LEGISLATION, ACQUISITION of data, QUANTITATIVE research |
| Geographic Terms: | ZAMBIA |
| Copyright of Journal of Librarianship & Information Science is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| ISSN: | 09610006 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/0961000616632865 |
| Database: | Complementary Index |