Decision No. 10/2007/QĐ-BVHTT approves the development plan for the library sector in Vietnam until 2010 and orientations until 2020.

Pursuant to …;

APPROVE THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE LIBRARY INDUSTRY OF VIETNAM UNTIL 2010 AND GUIDELINES UNTIL 2020

MINISTER OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM

Pursuant to Decree No.: 63/2003/NĐ-CP dated June 11, 2003 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism;
Pursuant to Decree No.: 92/2006/NĐ-CP dated September 7, 2006 of the Government on planning, approving, and managing comprehensive development plans for the economy and society;
Pursuant to the Library Ordinance adopted by the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on December 28, 2000;
Pursuant to Decree No. 72/2002/NĐ-CP dated August 6, 2002 of the Government detailing the implementation of the Library Ordinance;
Pursuant to the opinion of the Prime Minister assigning the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to consider and approve the Development Plan for the Library Industry of Vietnam until 2010 and guidelines until 2020 (Document No.: 1652/VPCP-VX dated March 29, 2007 of the Government Office);
At the proposal of the Director of the General Office, the Head of the Cadre and Civil Servant Department, the Head of the Planning and Finance Department, and the Head of the Library Department,

DECISION:

Article 1: Approve the Development Plan for the Library Industry of Vietnam until 2010 and guidelines until 2020 with the main contents as follows:

1 - Development viewpoint:

The Development Plan for the Library Industry of Vietnam until 2010 and guidelines until 2020 must be based on the following viewpoints:

a - Library activities are under the leadership of the Party and unified management by the State; they should proactively rely mainly on internal resources while also leveraging the combined strength of various types of libraries in close collaboration, promoting mutual development.

b - The library development plan must align with specialized sector development plans within the cultural and information field and the country's economic and social development, ensuring sustainable and long-term growth.

c - There should be a unified view that investment in libraries is investment in education and human resource development in Vietnam.

d - Promote socialization of library activities, enhance the effectiveness of state management. Maximize domestic and foreign resources, and mobilize the whole society's participation in building and developing the Vietnamese library industry. This should be appropriate in the context of the country actively and urgently integrating into the international economy.

2 - Guidelines until 2020

a - Appropriately invest in libraries, focusing on regional libraries: Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, or those significantly impacting nearby areas, consistent with local, regional, territorial, and national comprehensive plans.

b - Apply advanced science and technology to automate and modernize all stages of library operations. Develop electronic and digital libraries.

c - Collect, preserve, and promote cultural heritage in libraries using modern methods based on highly developed information technology. Establish three regional preservation centers in Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City. Digitize 100% of rare and valuable materials in libraries.

d - Fully exploit and effectively utilize domestic and international information resources.

đ - Train and develop high-quality library professionals with proficient language skills, capable not only of working domestically but also internationally as experts or through information exchange collaborations.

e - Promote socialization according to the principle of combining construction with good management to develop readership. Integrate various types of libraries in the area, implement inter-library loan systems to better serve users' needs and information requirements. Consolidate and continue to build a reading society.

3 – Main development goals:

a – Public libraries:

- Public libraries must be a resource to raise public awareness and普及全民教育，是为所有人提供终身教育的常设机构。

- Public libraries are the most democratic cultural institutions. All citizens, regardless of age, gender, religion, or ethnicity, have the right to use libraries. Strive to provide many free services to library patrons.

- Aim to establish a widespread, flexible, and attractive public library network across all regions and areas of the country; consolidate and build libraries at all districts, counties, and towns, and vigorously develop village-level (grassroots) libraries. Foster a reading culture in society, especially contributing to effectively building the next generation of readers.

- Ensure each citizen has access to 0.7 books in public libraries and 20% of the national population uses public library services.

- Provide maximum access to materials, primarily those available in national libraries, offering useful knowledge and information to users.

- Modernize and computerize public libraries, particularly the National Library, prioritizing the modernization of provincial and city central libraries and initial computerization of county-level libraries in the short term.

- By 2010, ensure all provincial and city libraries are connected to the National Library of Vietnam and the Internet, digitize 20% of rare materials, and have 40% of county-level libraries apply information technology.

b - Specialized and multi-disciplinary libraries.

b.1 - Libraries of Institutes and Research Centers.

- Gradually narrow the information gap between our country and other countries in the field of social sciences and humanities.

- Accelerate the pace of applying science and technology, especially information technology, in the operations of scientific and social science information and library departments. Strive to digitize 30% of rare and important materials and supplement 30% of electronic materials in library collections by 2010.

- Focus on collecting, preserving, and promoting cultural values in the fields of science and humanities.

- Build, consolidate, and modernize the nationwide system of scientific and social science information and libraries to reach regional standards by 2010.

- Timely, fully, and systematically provide social science, humanities information, serving as a basis for accurate strategic research decisions in the field of social sciences; ensure information for research and implementation; participate in enhancing the level of information reception, exploitation, and utilization in society, promoting social informatization, raising public knowledge; consolidate and develop social science information, gradually build and effectively exploit information resources, expand various types of publications and information services, best meeting users' needs.

b.2 - School libraries and other educational institutions.

* School library.

- Establish and develop school libraries and bookshelves according to the scale of education at each school, each grade level, each locality, and each region (including public, semi-public, private, and private schools).

- School libraries must truly become the central resource of the school.

- School libraries must ensure information materials for study programs, helping to broaden students' knowledge in all aspects, forming independence in reading and learning; teach them how to acquire, analyze information to form new knowledge. Learning in class will be reinforced through reading (studying) in the school library.

- Gradually renew the book collection based on the regulations on essential books for libraries issued by the Ministry of Education and Training, prioritizing vocational training books for teachers and reference books published and distributed by the Educational Publishing House according to the directives of the Ministry of Education and Training. Consolidate the textbook shelves to meet the rental and borrowing requirements of teachers and students.

- Gradually modernize and computerize school libraries; first, computerize school libraries in secondary schools; educate computer knowledge to students.

- Ensure a sufficient number of library staff as stipulated (strive for each school library to have one full-time staff member), with professional qualifications, mastering library skills, knowing how to creatively apply and operate libraries within schools; implement reasonable remuneration policies for school library staff.

* Libraries of colleges, universities.

- Highly value the position of university libraries in human resource training and scientific research work. Affirm the position of university libraries equivalent to a unit in the organizational structure of the institution (equivalent to a department or a division of the university).

- Upgrade university libraries: construct new, repair existing facilities, making libraries modern in infrastructure and equipment; rich in materials.

- Strengthen the work of supplementing foreign language materials. Coordinate in supplementing material types between universities and other major national scientific libraries to avoid duplication, saving foreign currency for the state. Implement information resource sharing through material exchange, inter-library loans, coordinated supplementation...

- Ensure regular exchanges and cooperation between domestic university libraries and foreign university libraries.

- Train and retrain library staff to meet job requirements, especially in information technology, marketing knowledge, library and information services, and foreign languages.

- Develop information technology infrastructure, using it as the most important lever in the process of library modernization.

- Establish technical operation standards (data structure, classification tables, keyword dictionaries...) to ensure consistency and rationality in organizing the document repository, facilitating easy access and exchange of bibliographic information among themselves and with external parties.

- Based on technical library operation standards using existing computer systems, automate the library process, improving the quality of traditional services. Build an integrated database serving all library activities, based on modern, standardized database management systems that can easily integrate with other technologies and expand.

- Utilize the latest achievements in information technology, particularly Internet technologies, to enhance the quality of the document fund and develop modern library and information services, serving various reader groups with different information means.

- Build a strong system of university libraries, developing towards electronic and digital libraries. Capable of easily and quickly meeting users' information needs.

- Digitize basic university and postgraduate course textbooks to provide online.

b.3 - Military libraries:

* Military library:

The military library system must be invested in, upgraded, renovated, and modernized, primarily the Central Military Library, libraries under Military Regions, Corps, and Services, becoming electronic libraries, connected to Intranet and Internet, digitizing one-third of Vietnam's military documents to meet national security and defense needs and improve the overall level of military personnel. Ensure standard quotas for books, newspapers, and magazines for the military library system at all levels according to Decision No. 3425/2001/QĐ-BQP dated December 20, 2001 of the Minister of Defense regarding "Issuing regulations on cultural and spiritual living standards in the military."

- Reorganize the military library system including two main subsystems: unit libraries and academy and school libraries (unified in terms of organization, staffing, scale...).

- Improve the quality and effectiveness of the military library system's operations.

- Construct physical facilities, ensure operating funds, and supplementary funds for books and newspapers for all military libraries.

- Train and improve the quality of the library staff in the system, ensuring they meet operational requirements.

- Establishing close and effective cooperative relationships with other library systems; contributing to organizing good service for residents in the local area.

* The police force library system.

Due to its unique security characteristics, it is not mentioned in this planning. Development directions and goals follow the general direction and goals of the library sector and the specific characteristics of the police force.

b.4 - Libraries of political organizations, political-social organizations, occupational social organizations, economic organizations, and public service units.

In addition to the development directions and common goals of the library sector, this library system also depends on the development directions and needs of the managing agency. Material and technical infrastructure gradually modernizes based on scientific and technological advancements to achieve set goals.

4 – Several key solutions to implement the Planning:

a - Strengthening the effectiveness of state management over library activities.

- Consolidating and improving the organizational structure of the Vietnamese library system in accordance with the Library Ordinance, Decree No. 72/2002/NĐ-CP dated August 6, 2002, guiding detailed implementation of the Library Ordinance and related accompanying documents.

- Consolidating the organization of the Vietnam Library Association, establishing affiliated branches.

- Coordinating inter-sectoral activities among various types of libraries in supplementing materials, creating and jointly using library-information products and services; circulating materials; compiling and promulgating unified national standards in library operations.

- Drafting the Library Law while amending and promulgating legal regulations, management mechanisms, and consistent policies related to library activities.

+ Financial policy in library operations

+ Land use policy for building libraries

+ Preferential policy for library staff and users, including special readers (blind, disabled, etc.)

+ Reward policy for those who contribute to developing the library cause.

b – Mobilizing investment capital for the development of the library cause.

To achieve the planning objectives, it is necessary to mobilize capital from the state, community, and international sources. Among these, state resources play a leading role. Community mobilization is very important (especially at the grassroots reading network from villages to townships, hamlets, clusters of communities). International resources serve to coordinate and pilot models, stimulating government and community efforts towards gradual socialization of library activities, encouraging and creating conditions for all economic sectors to participate and support library activities.

c - Training and enhancing the quality of human resources.

+ Developing training plans for each type of cadre: leadership and management cadres, top experts, teaching staff, research cadres, civil servants...

+ Enhancing material and technical facilities for teaching, learning, and scientific research. Expanding access to information technology, continuously improving and enhancing the quality of textbooks, teaching materials, reference materials, and student support methods. Increasing funding for textbook compilation, research, and scientific work.

+ Reforming the content, curriculum, and training methods for university and college-level library professionals according to the principles established by IFLA in 2000.

+ Expanding international cooperation in scientific research and retraining of library personnel. Organizing annual research teams to study abroad or participate in international conferences on library topics. Offering domestic courses with the participation of foreign experts.

+ Creating opportunities for teaching staff to enhance their expertise through practical visits and studies abroad.

+ Implementing preferential policies to attract talented individuals and highly skilled workers to work long-term in the library development cause.

d – Coordinating inter-sectoral activities.

Promoting forms of collaboration between libraries and information centers nationwide, particularly the activities of regional library associations and university library associations.

đ - Applying science and technology and promoting automation and modernization in libraries.

 Developing automation and modernization of infrastructure is urgent during the period of industrialization and modernization in Vietnam to integrate internationally. In the library field, we need to focus on the following specific tasks:

+ Computerizing and automating basic information-library processes towards digitization and networking domestically and internationally.

+ Modernizing access points and interfaces to make information sources accessible from anywhere and anytime.

+ Developing electronic libraries, modernizing libraries with advanced equipment and means; standardizing operations and widely applying national and international standards, aiming to reach higher technological levels and better operational quality, in line with relevant international standards.

e - Promoting socialization of the library cause.

 - Raising societal awareness, at all levels of government and agencies, about the role of libraries in the new era. Mobilizing people's participation in building the library cause, creating conditions for the public and social organizations to actively and equally engage in library activities.

- Socializing library and information personnel training work.

- Establishing private libraries to serve the community, widely developing information dissemination methods in accordance with the Party's guidelines and state laws.

- Diversifying investment sources for development, tapping human and material resources in society; effectively mobilizing and utilizing all available funds from the public to build and develop the library cause.

- Attract social organizations to participate in library activities. Along with state agencies, social organizations actively participate in circulating books and newspapers, introducing them to grassroots levels, bringing books to remote areas... contributing to enhancing the people's educational level.

f - Strengthen and expand international cooperation.

It is necessary to strengthen international cooperation in the following fields:

- Training and improving the professional qualifications of library staff and library teaching staff.

- Providing equipment, budget support for conducting certain national research projects, preservation and restoration projects for rare and valuable documents.

- Applying and transferring technology, industry standards.

- Exchanging, donating, and supporting scientific research materials, library-related materials, foreign-written materials about Vietnam. Notably, materials written about Vietnam by Vietnamese authors published abroad.

- Strengthening the organization and participation in international conferences and seminars to exchange experiences and academic knowledge.

- Proactively expanding relations with organizations and individuals to seek appropriate forms of cooperation with foreign partners.

- Consolidating and further developing relations with international library organizations such as IFLA, CONSAL, and other international organizations capable of funding the library sector like Sweden's SIDA Fund, America's Ford Foundation...

g – Total capital requirements for implementation and mechanisms for mobilizing various sources of capital.

* – Capital for implementing the planning

+ Central government budget

+ Local government budget

+ Other mobilized budgets

* – Mechanism for mobilizing capital sources

+ State-provided funds

+ Local funds

+ Domestic and foreign loans

+ Retained income from operations under the current system.

h - List of priority investment projects for developing the library sector

(annex attached).

Article 2: Implementation

Based on the approved Library Development Plan, which is a "framework" document containing development goals, directions, mechanisms, policies, and organizational implementation solutions; serving as the basis for drafting, approving, and implementing five-year and annual investment plans for library development in provinces and cities according to regulations.

- The Ministry of Culture and Information is responsible for leading and coordinating with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, and relevant agencies to implement this plan, regularly reporting to the Prime Minister on the implementation results.

- Provincial People's Committees base their directives to the Departments of Culture and Information to develop and implement the Library Development Plan until 2010 and the orientation until 2020 at the local level, ensuring compatibility with the approved Library Development Plan by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Article 3: This Decision takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 4: Provincial People's Committees, Heads of Offices, Directors of the Cadre and Civil Service Department, Directors of the Planning and Finance Department, Directors of the Library Department; Heads of units directly under the Ministry and Directors of Cultural and Information Departments of provinces and cities are responsible for implementing this Decision./.