- The National Library of Uganda (NLU) was established by an Act of Parliament in 2003, succeeding the former Public Libraries Board, which had been in place since 1964. This transition marked a pivotal change in the management and organization of library services in Uganda, positioning the NLU as the nation’s legal deposit library.
- Located on Buganda Road in Kampala, the NLU plays a vital role in collecting, managing, preserving, and disseminating Uganda’s documented heritage. A core function of the NLU is to ensure that all works published within Uganda are deposited and preserved. These materials span a wide array of formats, including books, newspapers, government publications, and other documents of cultural, historical, and educational importance. In addition to its role as a repository, the NLU oversees public libraries throughout the country by providing standards, guidelines, and policies to support effective library management at local levels.
- Beyond its preservation responsibilities, the NLU actively fosters a culture of reading across Uganda. It spearheads numerous initiatives to improve literacy and education, such as partnering with organizations like Book Aid International to distribute thousands of books to public and community libraries nationwide. Collaborations with institutions like the Library of Congress have also facilitated the digitization of local materials, making Uganda’s literary heritage more accessible through platforms like the World Digital Library.
- The Public Libraries Board and later the National Library of Uganda retained the responsibility of laying down national policies regarding these libraries, giving advice, issuing standards, norms, guidelines, and work manuals, providing technical and professional advisory services, and coordinating and carrying out advocacy for these libraries at local and international levels. With the enactment of the National Library Act of 2003, the National Library of Uganda became the National Bibliographic Control Agency responsible for ensuring the legal deposit of materials by publishers, publishing the National Bibliography of Uganda, allocating the International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) and International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN) and establishing and managing a National Collection of Uganda. This function is essential for raising the profile of Ugandan literature both locally and globally.
Mandate:
To Collect, Organize, Preserve and Disseminate Uganda’s Documented Heritage and to oversee Local Governments and Communities in the establishment and management of Public and Community Libraries.
Vision:
To be a leading institution of excellence in preserving Uganda’s documented heritage and the provision, and delivery of library and information services.
Mission:
Collecting, Preserving and disseminating Uganda’s documented heritage and providing professional leadership in the delivery of library and information services to public and community libraries.
Departments
The National Library of Uganda is organized into four key departments:
Office of the Director
The Office of the Director oversees board matters, policy formulation and implementation, financial management, overall administration, staff affairs, and liaising with other government agencies. The department is led by the Director, and supported by the Deputy Director, Senior Accountant, Office Superintendent, and support staff.
Technical Services Department (TSD)
The Technical Services Department is responsible for acquiring and processing information materials for the National Library through purchases, donations, exchanges, and legal deposits. It coordinates book donations for public and community libraries across Uganda and extends donations to other libraries as well. TSD also compiles and publishes the National Bibliography of Uganda, maintains the National Library website, and manages the library’s databases.
Inspection, Research, and Extension Services Department
This department promotes a reading culture through libraries and various reading activities. It monitors library services, develops guidelines and standards for public and community libraries, and oversees the National Library’s publishing activities.
Information and Referral Services Department
The Information and Referral Services Department maintains and preserves the library’s collection and provides reference services to patrons. As Uganda’s legal depository, the department ensures the preservation of all published works, including government publications, in the National Collection.
The library’s collections include the Africana Collection, the General Reference and Special Collection, and a rich Newspaper Collection dating back to pre-independence. Notable newspapers in the collection include The Uganda Argus, The Uganda Herald, Voice of Uganda, The Weekly Topic, New Vision, Daily Monitor, Bukedde, The East African, and Red Pepper.
Core functions
- To develop National Policies on Public Libraries
- To provide local governments with standards, advice, norms, work manuals, and guidelines in respect of public library buildings, staffing, stock, and information processing, storage, and retrieval.
- To inspect and ensure that public libraries conform to national policies and guidelines and to provide technical, professional, and advisory services in the field of librarianship to government departments, local governments, and the public sector.
- To carry out research in the field of library and information provision and disseminate results of government, local government, and the public
- To design and carry out pilot projects in new areas of library and information provision and disseminate results to local government and other organizations
- To carry out and coordinate staff development programs for people working in libraries and information services
- To support and promote adult literacy and education through the identification and stocking of post-literacy reading materials
- To support the setting up of rural community libraries campaigns and book exhibitions.
- To carry out advocacy at the local and international level in matters relating to libraries.
- To acquire and organize for use a comprehensive collection of library material published in Uganda, by Ugandans, and on Uganda;
- To act as a depository for the national and foreign governments’ publications as well as for United Nations and other International Organizations for purposes of promoting research and scholarship and for the preservation of published national culture and intellectual output.
- To compile and publish the national bibliography of books published in Uganda as a means of promoting awareness of the availability of these books and encouraging the sale of these books in the country and abroad.
- In collaboration with publishers in Uganda to carry out the cataloguing of books before they are published to ease the processing of these books by various libraries;
- To establish and maintain a national union catalogue of holdings of major libraries in the country and to provide information and referral services, including specialized information services, at the national and international levels.
- To allocate international standard book numbers and international standard serial numbers to the publisher in Uganda.
- To act as the agency for national and international lending and exchange of library materials.
- To act as a national, regional, and international information system.
- To create electronic databases in areas of national interest.
- To acquire, at a fee, from any person or institution, any manuscript or literature that may be considered to be of interest to the country.
- To carry out any other function that may promote the above objectives.
Rules and Regulations
- Access to the Library is strictly by Library pass. A Library pass can only be obtained after paying the entrance fee.
- Silence is to be observed in the reading area.
- All books are to be used within the reading room. “BOOK” includes every part or division of a book, newspaper, magazine, gazette, report, pamphlet, and map.
- Patrons must leave their National Identity Card behind when borrowing books from the National Collection.
- Photocopying library books is not allowed.
- Backpacks and Briefcases are to be left in the bag area near the entrance at no extra charge.
- All Patrons entering or leaving the Library in possession of books, newspapers, envelopes, handbags, etc., must show them to the staff at the Reference/Circulation/Information Desk.
- Mobile Phones must either be switched off or put in silent mode. Do not receive any calls from the Library.
- No discussions are allowed in the Library.
After reading books from open access, please do not reshelve them; leave them on the table.
With its comprehensive mandate to collect, preserve, and disseminate Uganda’s documented heritage, the National Library of Uganda strives to be a leading institution in providing quality library services. Its vision is centred on excellence in preserving cultural heritage and fostering a strong reading culture across all communities.
Location and contacts
National Library of Uganda -Kampala, Uganda.
Plot 50, Buganda Road0414-254661/[email protected]
Operating Hours.
Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM-5:00 PMSaturday: ClosedSunday: Closed