Adopted by the Supreme Council on December 19, 1992
Published in Ziņotājs, January 14, 1993, No. 1
Law "On the National Library of Latvia"
Article 1. The National Library of Latvia
(1) The National Library of Latvia (NLL) is a universal library of science accessible to the public and serving the intellectual development of the nation.
(2) The National Library of Latvia is the keeper of all printed matter of the Republic of Latvia, the developer of national bibliographic resources and the centre for development of a system of state libraries.
(3) The National Library of Latvia is part of the national wealth of the Republic of Latvia.
Article 2. Legal status of the National Library of Latvia
(1) The National Library of Latvia is a state institution of scientific research and a legal entity, which has its own seal, its budget and bank accounts.
(2) The National Library of Latvia is under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, operating in accordance with it statutes and the laws of the Republic of Latvia.
(3) Upon recommendation of the National Library of Latvia the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia may grant the status of a legal entity also to individual structural units of the National Library.
Article 3. Operations of the National Library of Latvia
(1) The material and data bases of the National Library of Latvia are generally accessible state property.
(2) The monuments of history and culture - rare books, manuscripts and other documents - housed at the National Library of Latvia are stored and used in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Latvia ''On the Protection of Cultural Monuments'' and the Law of the Republic of Latvia ''On Archives''.
(3) The National Library of Latvia represents the Republic of Latvia at international organisations in matters relating to libraries, participates in the preparation and implementation of international programs in this field, co-operating with foreign libraries in the procedure provided in intergovernmental and direct agreements.
Article 4. Sources of gathering material for the National Library of Latvia
(1) The National Library of Latvia is entitled to receive all printed matter published in the territory of the Republic of Latvia, and five mandatory copies of all printed publications of publishers of the Republic of Latvia free of charge regardless of where they are printed. Publishers of the Republic of Latvia must ensure the provision of the mandatory copies to the National Library of Latvia.
(2) The National Library of Latvia is entitled to one free copy of each foreign publication imported for sale in the territory of Latvia.
(3) The National Library of Latvia has the first right to purchase at the bidden price a library or individual books belonging to a physical person or sold at auction.
(4) The National Library of Latvia is entitled to keep publications banned by law.
Article 5. Use of the material of the National Library of Latvia
Citizens of the Republic of Latvia and other states, institutions, enterprises and organisations are entitled to use literary material and information of the National Library of Latvia in the stipulated procedure and free of charge.
Additional services indicated in the statutes of the National Library of Latvia are provided for a charge.
Article 6. Functions of the National Library of Latvia
The National Library of Latvia, co-ordinating with other libraries:
[1] - forms a depository of national literature, ensures the use and preservation of it for future generations;
[2] - selectively accumulates (purchasing, obtaining by exchange, receiving donations) and stores those foreign publications and documents which are of significance to the development of the State of Latvia, science, economy, education and culture of Latvia, and provides access to same;
[3] - performs the function of a central depository library of Latvia;
[4] - is responsible for the development of a national bibliography in the country;
[5] -organises and establishes a system of cataloguing the libraries of Latvia in order to provide information to users regarding all resources of information in the state;
[6] - performs the functions of an interlibrary subscription centre in Latvia;
[7] - organises and ensures the operations of the parliamentary library and information service.
Article 7. Duties of the National Library of Latvia in the development of a system of state libraries
The National Library of Latvia collects, compiles and analyses professional information in the library field, implements initiative in the standardisation of library processes, participates in the implementation of the main directions of library operations in the state, provides consultations to public libraries and libraries which have no centres for methods of their own. The National Library of Latvia carries out scientific research in the science of libraries, bibliography and books.
Article 8. Management of the National Library of Latvia
The National Library of Latvia is managed by its Director who is appointed by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
Article 9. The Dome of the National Library of Latvia
Operations of the National Library of Latvia are co-ordinated with public interests by the Dome of the National Library of Latvia. It is formed by the Government of the Republic of Latvia from specialists in the fields of education, science, culture, economy and other sectors. One half of the composition of the Dome is recommended by the National Library of Latvia. The regulation of the Dome is approved by the Government of the Republic of Latvia upon recommendation of the National Library of Latvia.
Article 10. Financial operations of the National Library of Latvia
(1)The National Library of Latvia is in possession of state real and movable property necessary to ensure the functional operations of the library.
(2) Funds necessary for the National Library of Latvia are formed by assignments from the state budget of the Republic of Latvia provided under a separate heading to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, and extra-budgetary funds.
(3) The National Library of Latvia pays no postage on mail within the territory of the state.
(4) The extra-budgetary funds of the National Library of Latvia are made up from business activities, paid services, contract work, rents, donations and other sources permitted by law.
Anatolijs Gorbunovs
Chairman of the Supreme Council
of the Republic of Latvia
