Library Map of the World

The Association is the only professional organization of librarians in Moldova, aiming to bring together librarians and community members to a form of association. Currently LAM has over 2,220 individual members, that represents 48% of Moldovan librarians. Major priorities are focused on strengthening the role of librarians and libraries in society; involvement of LAM in the innovation of the library domain; increasing institutional capacity of LAM; development of the LAM membership network; supporting professional development; strengthening advocacy. Main activities in the past 5 years were based on professional development, by launching 3 curricula and facilitating trainings.

The National Library ensures the safeguarding of library materials published in the country and constitutes a collection of valuable documents, develops, preserves the legal deposit of documents; performs the function of center of expertise and methodological assistance in the field of preservation and restoration as well as participates in carrying out the national bibliographic control. The National Library  has the status of a national library center which: perform the coordination and correlation function in the field of research and development of libary science, and collects and aggregates statistical data presented by librarians.

The Ministry is the body that coordinates the educational system in the Republic of Moldova, sets the objectives of the educational system as a whole, and the objectives of education by levels and educational profiles; which develops and ensures the implementation of strategies and policies in the fields of culture, art, cults, cinema and audiovisual.
According to the Law on Libraries the Ministry:

• Coordinates and promotes state policy in the field of libraries;
• Ensures the national unity in the activity of libraries;
• Coordinates and monitors the activity of the national libraries system;
• Elaborates and approves the normative framework regarding the activity of the public libraries;
• Monitors the process of implementing legislation in the field of libraries' activity;
• Maintains data statistics on the organization and functioning of public libraries;
• Organizes and carries out the attestation of the specialized personnel of the libraries.

The National Librarianship Council (NLC) is an advisory body of the he Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova, which contributes to the elaboration of regulatory acts in the field of libraries, ensures the national unity in librarianship, carries out actions to coordinate and co-operate the activities of institutions in the national libraries system.

The Strategy envisons to strengthen and modernize the network of local public libraries in meeting the needs of users and communities, the opportunities of the digital age, strengthening the role of public libraries in the community, encouraging effective partnerships, stimulating innovative practices and promoting life long learning.

The purpose of the law is to strengthen the role of the library in modern society through its development as a public service to ensure access to reading and development of interest in information, learning, education and research, cultural activities, and through enhancing the capacity of library involvement in the transfer of knowledge and free education opinions.

Purpose of the Law is meeting the needs of personality, society, state in editorial production; creating opportunities for affirmation of citizens as authors, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, language, religion, gender, opinion, political affiliation, wealth or social origin; ensuring the right to freedom of thought and speech, to free expression of opinions and beliefs; contributing to the national-cultural development of the people through the considerable increase in circulation and volume of editions, by the thematic expansion of book production; raising the level of culture of citizens by ensuring access to editorial production, familiarization with general human values, editing in original or translation of the most valuable works of national and universal literature; establishing relationships with publishers in other countries and concluding international conventions and agreements in the editorial field; increasing the number of national book editions in the languages ​​of wide circulation in order to promote the image of the Republic of Moldova in the world; strengthening and modernizing the technical-material basis of publishing houses, printers and broadcasting broadcasting networks.
The libraries are responsable for ensuring the protection of the written heritage of the country, keeping it permanently and preserving it. The legal deposit includes: books, serials, periodicals (magazines, newspapers, almanacs, calendars, newsletters, official acts issued by the central and local public administration authorities, parties, non-governmental organizations, musical scores, albums, stamps, paintings, portraits, engravings, illustrations, illustrated postcards, photographs reproduced in series, atlases, maps, printed plans, posters, teaching globes, material of political, administrative, cultural, artistic, scientific, educational, religious, sports, PhD thesis, multimedia editions, materials printed in Braille and "talking books", sound and video recordings (discs, audio and video cassettes, diafilms, slides, microfilms, microfiches), electronic documents - software data files, published on magnetic, optical or any other medium designed to be processed in the computer (CDs, CDs, DVDs), standards, patents and innovations, technical and operating rules, industrial and company catalogs, advertising and advertising materials, any other documents printed or published by graphic or physico-chemical procedures (lithography, photography, photocopying, phono and videography). Only the National Library, holds the copy of the LD, that can be borrowed by the library users.

The law regulates the relationships that arise in the creation and exploitation of literary, artistic and scientific works (copyright), interpretations, phonograms, videograms and broadcasts of broadcasting organizations (related rights), as well as other rights which are recognized in connection with the intellectual activity of the field of literature, art and science.

According to the law libraries and other similar institutions which do not seek to obtain an economic or commercial advantage, directly or indirectly, are exempt from the obligation to pay the remuneration. Besides the law allows without the consent of the author or other copyright holders and without payment of the author's remuneration, but with the obligatory indication of the name of the author whose work is being redeemed and the source of the loan, the reproduction, to the extent justified by the aim pursued: a legally published work where the reproduction is done by libraries and archives and does not seek to obtain an economic or commercial advantage, directly or indirectly, but to replace lost, destroyed or rendered inoperable specimens or to make copies available to other libraries or similar archives for the replacement, in their own collections, of lost, destroyed or rendered unusable works, if such copies of the work are not routinely made; articles and other works of small volume or of extracts of limited extent from legally published literary works (with the exception of computer programs) when the reproduction is made by libraries or archives for the needs of individuals who use for private study or research purposes, and does not seek to obtain an economic or commercial advantage, directly or indirectly; articles and other works of small volume or of extracts of a limited extent from legally published literary works (except for computer programs) when the reproduction is made by educational institutions for study or research purposes; and does not seek to obtain an economic or commercial advantage, directly or indirectly.
The law admits that electronic transfer of public works for archiving purposes by libraries without obtaining an economic or commercial advantage, directly or indirectly, is permitted without the consent of the author or other copyright holder and without payment of any remuneration.

The Law on Libraries admits that the employment of the deputy director and deputy director of the public library shall be carried out by contest, based on the criteria of professional and managerial competence. In order to appreciate the activity, the level of professional knowledge and skills, as well as in order to stimulate the improvement of the professional skills and to increase the efficiency of the activity, the personnel in the public libraries are subject to attestation every 5 years. The certification of public library specialists is carried out by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research jointly with other central and local public authorities, which have subordinated libraries, under a regulation approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research.

The State University of Moldova provides studies in Librarianship, Information and Archiving. During past five decades the school has undergone a series of changes, reflected in its change of name: from the School of Librarianship and Bibliography, to the School of Library Science and Information Assistance, to its present inclusion in the Department of Communications. Currently, the following specializations are included in the bachelor's degree program: librarianship, information assistance, and archives; IT and communications; and information and sociocultural services. Master's degree studies offer specializations in digital libraries and information services, and the management of information institutions. The MSU program focuses on developing competencies in cataloging, data analysis, communications, information literacy, needs assessment, and the use of the internet and other ICTs. The master's-level programs are of two types: research-based and professional-based.

Published twice a year, Journal of Bibliology is a professional journal edited by the National Library. It aims to update the knowledge, promote the trends of the field, promote the advanced national and international experiences.

Professional magazine, published four times a year by the Municipal Library "B.P. Hasdeu", aims to update the knowledge, promote the trends of the field, promote the advanced national and international experiences.

Organised by the Librarians' Association of Moldova, the event takes place on the 23 of April each year. It aims to promote the role of libraries in commnunities. All libraries are invitated to participate wih open public events that invited public to take part. As well library community participates at open forum to discuss with central authorities on main library issues.  

Every year in March, the National Libary from Moldova invites library community to participate in this event to discuss previous year's achievements.

The Library Trainers Forum is held every year in September. Participants are library trainers and managers who come together to discuss about challanges and achievements in the area of training delivered by libraries to public.