Decision No. 61/1998/QĐ-BGDĐT promulgates the Regulations on the organization and operation of secondary school libraries

Pursuant to …;

REGARDING THE ISSUE OF REGULATIONS ON THE ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES

MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Pursuant to Government Decree No. 43/2000/NĐ-CP dated August 30, 2000 detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Education Law;

Pursuant to Decree No. 15/CP dated March 2, 1993 of the Government stipulating the tasks, powers, and state management responsibilities of Ministries and agencies at the ministerial level;

At the proposal of the Director of the Political Work Department,

DECISION:

Article 1. We hereby promulgate with this Decision the "Regulations on the Organization and Operations of School Libraries" applicable to all types of public, private, semi-public, and private schools authorized to train secondary education levels.

Article 2. This Decision shall take effect fifteen days from the date of signature, replacing Decision No. 947/QĐ dated July 31, 1979 of the Minister of Education on the Regulations on the Organization and Operations of School Libraries and Decision No. 2164/GD-ĐT dated June 27, 1995 on the Regulations on Schools, Classes, Libraries, and Educational Equipment in Primary Schools (Library Section).

Article 3. The Heads of the Ministry's Office, Directors of relevant Departments, Heads of subordinate units under the Ministry, and Directors of Provincial Departments of Education and Training are responsible for implementing this Decision.

REGULATIONS

ON THE ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES

(Issued together with Decision No. 61/1998/QĐ-BGD & ĐT dated November 6, 1998 of the Minister of Education and Training)

PART I

ROLE AND TASKS

Article 1. School libraries (including primary, middle, and high schools) are essential physical facilities, cultural and scientific centers of the school. Libraries contribute to improving the quality of teaching by teachers, fostering basic knowledge about library science and cultivating self-study habits for students, laying the groundwork for gradually changing teaching and learning methods, and actively participating in ideological education and building new cultural lifestyles for members of the school.

School libraries belong to the specialized educational and training library system, are part of the general library network, and strictly comply with state regulations on library work.

Article 2. All schools must have bookshelves and libraries. The tasks of school libraries are as follows:

1. Providing teachers and students with a full range of textbooks, reference books, professional books, various dictionaries, classic works for consultation, and other necessary books to enhance the quality of teaching, learning, and continuous self-improvement of teachers and students.

2. Collecting and widely introducing to cadres, teachers, and students the necessary books and newspapers of the Party, State, and the Education and Training sector, serving teaching, learning, educational research, supplementing subject knowledge, and contributing to enhancing comprehensive educational quality.

3. Organizing activities to attract all teachers and students to participate in library activities through programs and plans that fit the teaching schedule, understanding their needs, helping them select books systematically, learn how to use the book search system and catalogues, and fully utilize the book collection, especially professional and reference books.

4. Coordinating activities with libraries within the sector (research institute libraries, universities, colleges, technical and vocational schools) and local libraries (commune, ward, town, district, city, provincial libraries) to proactively exploit and use book resources, provide experience support, organize training and professional development activities; contacting issuing agencies both inside and outside the sector, political, economic, social organizations, sponsors, etc., to mobilize non-budgetary funds and various books, magazines, and materials to ensure supplementary resources, enrich the content of the book collection, and strengthen library technical infrastructure.

5. Managing according to library practices, maintaining strict records, preserving books and newspapers to prevent damage and loss, regularly purging old, damaged, outdated books, promptly supplementing new types of books and materials (including video tapes, audio tapes, CD-ROMs, educational images and maps), using and managing library funds strictly for their intended purposes; having proactive plans to anticipate and adopt developments in electronic information-library networks, gradually introducing modern equipment to serve library management and readers.

Chapter II

TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE LIBRARY

Article 3. School libraries must be located in convenient places within the school with appropriate area.

The material infrastructure of the library includes:

1. Reading and lending room: divided into two areas dedicated to students and teachers, each having separate reading rooms, desks, chairs, lighting, catalog cabinets, information boards for guidance on searching...

2. Book storage room: a solid, dry room where books and newspapers are well preserved and scientifically arranged. The ratio of books in storage serving the grade and level should constitute the majority.

3. Special equipment must be complete and reasonably arranged according to library management practices (bookshelves, cabinets, desks, chairs, catalogs, computers, audiovisual devices, etc.), gradually modernized in line with general development trends.

Article 4. The book storage room is divided into the following parts:

1. Textbooks: Ensuring sufficient supply for teachers and students to borrow (under social policy) or purchase individually as required.

2. Professional books for teachers:

- Legal regulations, Party resolutions, State decrees, and industry guidelines suitable for the educational level, field of study, and general education management.

- Books on pedagogical skills training.

- Books enhancing professional expertise, foreign language proficiency, and regular training materials for each cycle.

3. Annual reference books and materials as directed by the Ministry of Education and Training:

- Reference books and dictionaries: classical works...

- Subject-related reference books and materials.

- Books expanding knowledge and improving proficiency: original works, maps, images... aligned with appropriate educational programs.

- Books supporting broadened and enhanced general knowledge, competitions, and specialized topics for outstanding student contests.

4. Industry-appropriate newspapers, magazines, and periodicals suitable for the educational level and field of study, as well as general Party, State, local, and mass organization publications.

Article 5

- Annually allocate 2-3% of the total local education budget for library supplementary funding to purchase books, newspapers, and equipment for library maintenance and upgrades, in accordance with Circular No. 30/TTLB dated July 26, 1990 issued jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training.

- Annually, the Educational Publishing House and provincial book and school equipment companies set aside a portion of their production and business costs to support library guidance, promotion, and teacher training for library activities, aiming to enhance library quality.

Chapter III

ORGANIZATION AND METHODS OF OPERATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Article 6. Based on Decision No. 243/CP dated June 28, 1979 of the Council of Ministers regarding organizational structure and staffing of secondary schools, appoint teachers to manage library work according to the number of classes specified. Teachers managing library work shall enjoy current state policies and benefits.

Article 7. Teachers responsible for library work have the following duties:

- Implement decisions and directives from superiors concerning library work, organize library activities at schools according to monthly, semester, and annual plans.

- Be thoroughly familiar with the Party's and State's policies, educational sector policies, especially those relevant to secondary education levels, and directives on library work.

- Fully implement library management rules and principles, take measures to increase book and newspaper sources, guide reading, and promote book introductions.

- Participate in guiding methods of using books, materials, and teaching library knowledge to students.

- Attend professional workshops and seminars on school library work.

- Summarize, disseminate, and apply advanced library experiences, and organize scientific labor in the library.

To fulfill these tasks, teachers responsible for library work must have graduated from secondary teacher training and received library vocational training. If they are librarians trained in specialized library and cultural information schools, they must also receive pedagogical training to become teachers responsible for library work.

Article 8. At the beginning of each school year, each school shall establish a library working group headed directly by the Principal or Deputy Principal (the number of members to be determined by each school), including:

- A teacher responsible for library work.

- Heads of subject departments or grade-level leaders, some class advisors.

- Representatives from the Trade Union, Youth League, and Young Pioneers.

- Representatives from the Parent-Teacher Association according to grade levels.

Some students with the ability to engage in library activities, introduced by their class advisors.

Article 9. The library working group has the responsibility to organize and delegate tasks to each member to proactively carry out library duties as follows:

- Members of the group form a network for identifying and collecting new books, newspapers, and materials, organizing introductions and guidance to meet teaching needs according to training objectives and plans to enhance public awareness, as planned by the group.

- Mobilizing organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally to support library construction.

- Publicly discussing the reasonable use of non-budgetary funds derived from library operations, compensation for damaged or lost books and newspapers, proceeds from book sales, etc., to pay overtime compensation and supplement resources for library development after obtaining permission from the Director of the Department of Education and Training.

- Subject department heads (grade-level leaders) direct the group's participation in library work, planning for books, book introductions, organizing the collection of articles to build the library's resource base, and guiding students in reading.

- Class advisors direct classes on the distribution, recovery, preservation, and use of books.

- The principal of general education schools is responsible for coordinating with the Youth League, Young Pioneers, the school’s trade union, the parent-teacher association, and local organizations and mass organizations to participate in building a strong school library.

Article 10. Reading rooms and book lending services may operate during break times, weekends, and summer holidays. Specific hours are to be determined by each school in accordance with labor standards and actual operational conditions. In schools with branch campuses, mobile bookshelves should be organized periodically to serve these branches.

General education school libraries need to coordinate with local school libraries to widely promote reading competitions, knowledge contests about good books, and book introduction events to highlight the role of the school as a cultural and scientific center in the community according to specific annual plans.

Chapter IV

LIBRARY MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION WORK

Article 11. The Department of Education and Training is responsible for:

- Through the School Books and Equipment Company, coordinating with relevant agencies at the local level to implement detailed plans for organizing and strictly enforcing measures to prevent unsuitable books and materials from entering the schools that do not align with educational goals or the psychological and physiological characteristics of students (school level, grade level); planning the rational use of allocated funds to gradually improve the quality of library activities.

- Implementing the annual plan for supervising school library work issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 12. Library organization and activities must be an important component in evaluating schools for national standard recognition and annual commendation awards. Recognition of school libraries must be based on the School Library Standards applicable to general education schools issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 13. From the academic year 1998-1999, schools that already have libraries must take measures to upgrade them, while schools that do not yet have libraries must develop plans to gradually build them, starting from organizing shared bookshelves and progressing towards fully developing school libraries according to this Regulation. Libraries in primary schools currently organized and operating under the model of information classrooms shall continue to be implemented to draw lessons learned.

Article 14. The Political Work Department of the Ministry of Education and Training has the responsibility to serve as the main coordinator in collaboration with relevant Departments and units under the Ministry to assist the Ministry in directing the operation of school library activities.

Article 15. The Primary Education Department, the General Secondary Education Department, the Educational Publishing House, and functional Departments, based on their assigned tasks, shall assist the Ministry in guiding and directing localities in implementing this Regulation.