Acts
Libraries Act, No. 36, 16 May1997
Libraries Act
No. 36, 16 May 1997
Article 1
Public libraries are institutes of knowledge and culture. Their purpose is to provide people, children and adults, with ready access to a diverse repository of books and other media, including computer equipment and information in machine-readable form. Libraries shall promote free and uninhibited access by the public to information and repositories of knowledge. Libraries shall, each in its own area of service, endeavour to support cultural activities and to make available to the public information on public institutions and services. Their objective shall be to promote the Icelandic language, encourage lifelong education and promote interest in reading.
All Icelanders shall be entitled to avail themselves of the service of public libraries. All municipalities are required to provide such services pursuant to this Act.
All public libraries shall organise their activities so as to enable the best possible co-operation of the libraries in the country in their service to users.
Article 2
Public libraries include the following:
a. Public libraries run by municipalities;
b. Libraries in hospitals, homes for the aged and prisons run by the institutions involved;
Article 3
Municipalities may operate libraries jointly by forming district associations or by other means permitted under legislation on local government.
Article 4
Public libraries and school libraries in primary schools may be operated jointly, provided that the administration of the library and the school committee enter into a written partnership agreement with the approval of the municipality or municipalities in question. Such joint operation shall provide for easy access by the public to the services of the library outside school hours.
Contractual management and service co-operation may also be established between a public library and secondary schools or university-level schools where such an arrangement is convenient owing to special circumstances.
Article 5
The country is divided into library districts. The Minister for Education decides on the division in a regulation based on the recommendations of the Union of Local Authorities in Iceland. Each district shall have a district library which is responsible for services in the district. All the libraries in a district shall promote co-operation among themselves.
Article 6
The municipalities in each library district shall decide jointly which public library in the district shall assume the role of district library. The Minister for Education shall decide in a regulation what conditions, e.g. as regards specialised staff, holdings, acquisition and technical equipment, a library needs to meet in order to assume the role of district library.
The district library shall provide other libraries in the district with professional advice, promote co-operation and serve as the information centre of the district.
The district library shall, to the extent possible, lend to or obtain for other libraries and the population of the district such library materials as they require.
A district library may provide library services to associations and institutions such as schools and hospitals, and may charge a fee for such services.
Each district library shall endeavour to establish an information service or department relating to the economic sectors of the district.
Article 7
Each public library administered by a municipality shall have a board of directors of 3-5 members elected by the local government of the municipality or municipalities. The term of election of the board of directors of the library shall be the same as the term of election of the local government.
The local government shall establish the terms of reference of the board of directors. In the event that more than one municipality jointly operate a library, the partnership agreement shall provide for the representation of each local government on the board and the responsibilities of the board. The same applies to boards of directors of district libraries.
Article 8
Municipalities shall employ the staff of the public libraries for which they are responsible and provide them with suitable housing and necessary equipment.
In hiring staff, every attempt shall be made to ensure that public libraries are staffed by employees with specialised education suited to the scope of activities of the library. The director of a public library shall, when possible, have completed a degree in library sciences, information sciences or other equivalent field.
In the design of library buildings and in the purchase or renting of library premises, care shall be taken to ensure that the library is accessible to everyone.
Article 9
Allocations to public libraries shall be decided in the annual budget of each municipality.
Where municipalities operate a library jointly, the partnership agreement shall provide for the division of costs, taking into account, i.a., the location of the library. Agreements on district libraries pursuant to Article 6 hereof shall provide for contributions from the municipalities of the district to libraries in respect of their as district libraries.
Article 10
All hospitals in the country, homes for the aged and prisons shall have a library operated and paid for by the institution. However, an institution may negotiate with a public library within the district on library services subject to payment of an appropriate charge.
The board of directors of the institute in question shall appoint a board of directors for the in-house library and decide on its terms of reference.
Article 11
The National Library of Iceland – University Library shall promote the co-ordination of work procedures in Icelandic libraries, provide expert advice and co-operate with other libraries as further provided in legislation governing the institution and regulations issued pursuant to such legislation.
Article 12
The Minister for Education is the supreme authority in matters regarding public libraries and responsible for monitoring compliance with the provisions hereof and regulations issued pursuant to this Act.
Public libraries shall submit an annual report to the Ministry of Education on their finances and activities. The Ministry may charge other parties with obtaining and processing such information pursuant to further regulatory provisions.
Article 13
The Minister for Education shall appoint an Advisory Committee on Public Libraries for a term of three years. The committee shall be composed of three members, of which one shall be nominated by the Union of Local Authorities, one by the National Library – University Library and the third by the Icelandic Library Association. The Minister shall appoint the Chairman and Vice-Chairman from among the members of the committee.
The Advisory Committee shall respond to queries submitted by the Ministry of Education, Union of Local Authorities, local governments, library administrations or head librarians of public libraries. The Committee may also, on its own initiative, direct comments and recommendations to the above parties.
Article 14
...1)
1)Act No. 33/1997, Article 7.
Article 15
The Minister for Education shall issue a regulation with further provisions on the implementation of this Act. The regulation shall be prepared in co-operation with the Union of Local Authorities and in consultation with the Icelandic Library Association.
Article 16
This Act shall take Effect on 1 August 1997. ...
Temporary Provisions.
In 1997–2001 the State Treasury will allocate funds, a minimum of ISK 4 million each year, to enable public libraries to offer services based on modern information technology and to promote the interconnection of the libraries in the country in a digital information network The funds may be used to issue grants to libraries for the purchase of computer equipment for this purpose and to provide training courses for librarians and to publish educational material for the public on how to make use of new information technology. The funds may also be used to issue grants for development projects in the interests of public libraries, especially research and education. The Minister for Education shall establish rules1) on the use of the funds, including information on conditions for grants, and decide on the allocation of appropriations from the funds pursuant to the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Public Libraries , cf Article 13 hereof.
1)Regulation No. 765/1997