The National Network of Public Libraries, which is a centralized system, includes public libraries and provides library services at the national, departmental and municipal levels. It is coordinated at the national level by the Ministry of Culture through the National Library of Colombia.
The network consists of following library types:
This network doesn't include public libraries which are funded either by private organisations or public-private partnerships. Those types of libraries are being established by autonomous or non-governmental institutions with independent budgets. According to law, these libraries can establish its own networks. Examples of these libraries are: libraries of the Family Compensation Fund (Caja de compensación familiar, a private organisation), community libraries, libraries of the National Bank of Colombia, and research and university libraries which belongs to research institutes or higher education establishments.
The Ministry of Culture through the National Library of Colombia is the agency responsible for development of policy for public libraries, aiming at creation, promotion and strengthening of all types of public libraries as well as for its library services.
The national, departmental, district or municipal governments shall include in its annual budgets the appropriation line to create, strengthen and maintain the number of libraries in its respective jurisdiction. Also, according to the Law 60 of 1993, the municipalities assign the budget (2%) to cultural houses and public libraries.
30 | 43.9 |
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Median Age | Population Densitypeople per sq km |
58.1% | -0.1% |
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Internet Users | Internet Gender Gap |
4.5% | 8.7% |
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Poverty Rate 2011 PPP | Unemployment % of labor force |
94.2% | 4.5% |
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Adult Literacy Rate % of people age 15+ | Education Spending % of GDP |
No Data Available | 0.2% |
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ICT Skills: Transfering Files | Research Spending % of GDP |
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National Library Associations
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National Library
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Policy Making Institutions
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Library Support Organisations
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National Policy for Libraries
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Library Law
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Legal Deposit Law
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Copyright Law
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Library Exceptions & Limitations
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Professional Qualification Requirements
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Education
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Professional Publications
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Professional Events
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Total | National | Academic | Public | Community | School | Other | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Libraries |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Libraries with Internet Access |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Full-Time Staff |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Volunteers |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Registered User |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Physical Visits |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Physical Loans |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Electronic Loans |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Population | Colombia | Region | World |
Population Density people per sq km | 43.9 2016 | 31.8 2016 | 57.4 2016 |
Urban Population (World Bank) | 76.7% 2016 | 80.1% 2016 | 54.3% 2016 |
Median Age (CIA) | 30 2017 | - | 30 2017 |
Age Dependency Ratio, Youth (World Bank) % of working age people | 34.1% 2017 | 37.1% 2017 | 39.7% 2017 |
Age Dependency Ratio, Elderly (ITU World Telecoms Database) % of working age people | 11.1% 2017 | 12% 2017 | 13.3% 2017 |
Information Infrastructure | Colombia | Region | World |
Internet Users (ITU World Telecoms Database) % of population | 58.1% 2016 | - | - |
Broadband Cost (ITU World Telecoms Database) in USD | $19 2016 | $21.3 2016 | $20.1 2016 |
Phone Subscription Cost (ITU World Telecoms Database) in USD | $12.8 2016 | $13.6 2016 | $9.5 2016 |
Internet Gender Gap (ITU World Telecoms Database) % of Men Internet Users - % of Women Internet Users | -0.1% 2016 | - | 11.6% 2017 |
Access to Electricity (World Bank) | 99% 2016 | 97.8% 2016 | 87.4% 2016 |
Economy, Poverty, and Employment | Colombia | Region | World |
GDP per Capita (World Bank) current international $ | 14,154 2016 | 15,211 2016 | 16,215 2016 |
Poverty Rate (World Bank) at $1.90 a Day, 2011 PPP | 4.5% 2016 | 4.5% 2013 | 10.9% 2013 |
Inequality Index (World Bank) 0 is perfect equality, 100 is the complete inequality | 51 2016 | - | - |
Unemployment (World Bank) % of labor force | 8.7% 2016 | 8.1% 2016 | 5.9% 2014 |
Inactive Youth (World Bank) % of youth | 21.2% 2016 | 21.8% 2016 | - |
Education and Literacy | Colombia | Region | World |
Students per Teacher (World Bank) Ratio | 24 2016 | 22 2016 | 24 2016 |
Adult Literacy Rate (World Bank) % of people age 15+ | 94.2% 2015 | 93.5% 2016 | 86.2% 2016 |
Education Spending (World Bank) % of GDP | 4.5% 2016 | 5.3% 2014 | 4.9% 2014 |
Innovation and Skills | Colombia | Region | World |
Research Spending (World Bank) % of GDP | 0.2% 2015 | 0.8% 2014 | 2.2% 2015 |
ICT Skills: Programming % of Population | - | - | - |
ICT Skills: Creating Presentations % of Population | - | - | - |
ICT Skills: Finding, Downloading, Installing Software % of Population | - | - | - |
ICT Skills: Transferring Files % of Population | - | - | - |
ICT Skills: Sending Emails % of Population | - | - | - |
ICT Skills: Using Copy/Paste % of Population | - | - | - |
ICT Skills: Connect/Install Devices % of Population | - | - | - |
ICT Skills: Using Math in Spreadsheets % of Population | - | - | - |
Ascolbi is responsible for organizing, representing and strengthening students and professionals of Library and Information Science in Colombia through leading disciplinary, ethics, academic, scientific, social and public policy debate; the professional update, exchange and generation of knowledge aiming at improving the process of acquisition, classification, description, conservation, access, clasification, and social appropriation of information and knowledge. It has representatives in the National Council of Librarianship, institution responsible for regulating the professional practice in Colombia. Boards of directors of both institutions (Ascolbi and the National Council of Librarianship) change each three years.
The National Library of Colombia is the main library of bibliographic heritage in the country. It is the head representative of the National Network of Public Libraries. It guarantees the retrievement, preservation and access to the collective memory of the country. It is also responsible for planning and designing policies related to reading, public libraries, and its development.
Institutions responsible of policy making related to libraries are in three territorial levels: national, departamental and municipal, each one with its specific competencies. At the national level, the Ministry of Culture through the National Library of Colombia is responsible for policies related to reading and bibliographic heritage.
The National Ministry of Educations is responsible for policies related to university and research libraries as well as school libraries.
Established in 2001, with the main objective of supporting and strengthening an educational and cultural project offered by national public libraries and public libraries of Bogotá. Its work is aimed at four strategic directions:
1. Promote, advise and formulate librarianship, educational and cultural projects.
2. Manage, collect, and execute economic and/ or in kind resources.
3. To perform strategic alliances with public administration and private company for the successful development of projects.
4. Produce links with citizenship through educational process and appropriations of projects.
Policy is defined around two fundamental axis: access and memory which materializes in the Public Library System and the Heritage Libraries System. Its principal aim is to garanty the possibilities of access to all people to reading and information, and knowledge production without any barrier, as well as to retrieve, conserve, organise, control, and access bibliographic and documentary heritage. It integrates actors from national, departamental and municipal government, universities and research groups, librarians, non-governmental entities, etc. In addition, Colombia has other plans which support and consolidate the policy.
The objective of this law is to define the policy of National Network of Public Libraries, to regulate its functioning and to establish instruments for its integral and sustainable development. It applies to institutions, proceses and resources related to the National Network of Public Libraries coordinated by the Ministry of Colombia through the National Library of Colombia. The law doesn't apply to public libraries which are established by autonomous or non-governmental institutions and funded by private or public-private funds. Also, this law defines: the creation of Technical Committee of National Public Libraries and responsibilities in different territorial levels of libraries: national, departamental and municipal.
Regulated by Law 44 of 1993, Decreto (ordinance) 1080 of 2015, Decreto (ordinance) 358 of 2000 and Law 1379 of 2010. Deposit law applies to: editors, audiovisual and phonograms producers, video recorders producers, and the authors of printed, audiovisual or phonograms work when they assumed the edition and distributions of its own works established in the country. By 2013 the National Library of Colombia- Selection and Acquisitions Division implemented the voluntary digital deposit through its web site and is harvesting the Colombian web.
The framework of copyright law in Colombia is Law 23, 1982. Since 2011, some proposals for updates have been made and since then the librarians have been making comments for the inclusion of exceptions and limitations in these proposals.
The law allow for some basic activities, but there have been extensive debates about what the law does not allow, but it is a common practice among librarians, where multiple copyright infringements could be made or libraries would no longer offer services and access to the information for fear of committing infractions. It was detected that legislators are unaware of the daily work of libraries, and there is no connection between changing needs, legislators and library practices. In 2018, the standard was updated for the first time with joint work and consensus among the various stakeholders and exceptions were obtained for loans, digital deposit and orphan works. Colombia had an exception for translation of documents but with an update of 2012 this exception was eliminated, affecting access to information for the various languages spoken in the country. Due to the Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and the United States, an update on Internet Service Providers must be made. The terms of protection of exclusive rights should have been increased, affecting seriously the public domain without having studies that demonstrate that increase strengthens the creation, making the work of libraries in the country more difficult. In 2013, Colombia declared itself in favor of a Treaty on exceptions and limitations for libraries in the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights at WIPO, but unfortunately it was the only time it did. Colombia's position has been to support the protection of authors, being quite timid in the inclusion of exceptions and limitations in favor of libraries and archives. The update of the 2018 law includes the review of exceptions every 3 years; by 2020 public hearings should be held with a view to updating the law and the library sector is expected to present itself at mentioned hearing. The initative which made the agreements possible is #BibliotecariosAlSenado. In 2021, Colombia ratified the Marrakesh treaty with the law 2090.
There is a card issued for professionals in librarianship. This card allows to exercise the profession and is regulated by Law 11 of 1979. However, it is usual for librarians not to have this professional card; there is a large concentration of professionals in the main capital cities and in a large part of the country. Libraries are run by professionals from other areas, not necessarily graduate librarians.
The level of training in Library and Information Science in Colombia is mainly bachelor; there are technical, technological and professional training programs. At the graduate level there is a specialization and a master's degree. Bachelor programs are taught by the universities Javeriana, La Salle, Antioquia, Quindío and INPAHU. The National Apprenticeship System SENA offers technical training and INPAHU has a technological program. Postgraduate studies are taught by the Javeriana University and the University of Antioquia.
Revista Interamericana de Bibliotecología is a peer-reviewed scientific journal aimed at librarians, archivists and specialists in information science. It constitutes a reliable channel for the publication of original and unpublished articles, written in Spanish, English or Portuguese, and derived from research. It also welcomes theoretical studies, the revision works and the original reflections, which give an account of the progress of librarianship and its related disciplines, especially in Latin America. The Journal is published quarterly and can be obtained by subscription in its printed version, or by free access to its contents in the electronic version offered by its website.
At the national level, different celebrations are held for the Librarians' Day, which coincides with the day of the language, in April each year. Among other events, the celebration is held by the Department and the Information Science Career at the Javeriana University, where conferences are offered and it is an opportunity for students and graduates to exchange experiences.
The Congress occurs annually and brings together librarians from Colombia. It takes place in Bogotá.