The National Library of Pakistan: an overview

Describes the history and development of the National Library of Pakistan, which was founded in 1949, merged with the Liquat Memorial Library in 1954 and separated again in 1968. The Library moved to its own building at Islamabad in 1988, and opened to the public in 1993. The Library is administered by the Department of Libraries of the Directorate of Libraries and Archives in the Ministry of Education. The prime function of the National Library of Pakistan is to receive, preserve, and maintain the literary heritage of the country under copyright provisions. The annual Pakistan National Bibliography is based on copyright receipts, mainly books. The National Library receives about 66 percent of serial publications and 50-55 percent of books published in the country. Electronic publications are not yet covered by the copyright laws. The Library assigns ISBNs to nearly half of all books published. Library membership and daily readership are very low and services to users very limited. The development of staff and services need immediate attention.