National Library of Thailand

The National Library of Thailand (Thai: หอสมุดแห่งชาติ) is the legal deposit and copyright library for Thailand. It was created in 1905, after the merger of the three pre-existing royal libraries. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Fine Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture and is located in Bangkok.^[1]

The library aims to be a fully high-tech national intellectual property heritage resource, serving all people and guided by professional library leadership.^{[citation needed]}

Background

The National of Library of Thailand has had its main tasks of collecting, storing, preserving and organizing all national intellectual property heritage; Science and technology; Arts and national culture in forms of Thai manuscripts i.e. stone inscriptions, palmleaves, Thai traditional books, printed publications as well as audio-visual materials and electronic materials etc. National Library of Thailand is a national information source of which rendering unlimited knowledge and information technology to nationwide users all walks of life; pupils, students, researcher, Thai and oversea general public in central and provincial parts of Thailand.

National Library has long history, and has so far successfully been developed for years, since the three main libraries Mandira Dharma Library, Vajirayanana Library and Buddhasasana Sangaha Library were amalgamated entitled “Vajirayanana Library for the Capital City”, by royal command of King Chulalongkorn the Great, October 12, 1905. The library has been so far under the royal patronage of succeeding Chackri Dynasty’s Kings up until now. In 1933, after being changed into democracy regime, the Fine Arts Department was established and ministered the “Vajirayanana Library for the Capital City” by royal degree. The National Library has been initiatedly prospered successively and was later renamed “National Library” up to the present time. In 1966, the National Library was transferred to Samsen road and has been under the Ministry of Culture for the time being.

Outline history

• 1905 The three royal libraries were amalgamated by the royal command of King Rama V.
• 1916 The Vajirayanana Library for the Capital City was moved to Thavaravathu Building, east of Wat Mahadhatu.
• 1925 Collection of printed materials were house within Thavaravathu Building which was renamed “Vajiravudh Library” by the royal command of King Rama VII. All original Thai ancient manuscripts and Thai gilt book cases were transferred to Sivamokkabiman Hall and graciously renamed “Vajirayanana Library”
• 1933 The Library was subjected to The Fine Arts Department as “Library Division”.
• 1947 Damrong Rajanubhab Memorial Library was founded and later was transferred to the new building within Varadis Palace’s precinct on Lan Luang Road.
• 1966 National Library was moved to Samsen Road.
• 1972-2009 Opening of 16 National Library Branches in various provincial areas.
• 1979 Establishment of Naradhip Centre for Research in Social Sciences within Thavaravathu Building. The centre is now demolished.
• 1981 King Vajiravudh Memorial Hall was constructed to house royal private collections and demonstrate royal waxworks as well as Dusit Thani Experimental Democratic Cities of King Rama VI.
• 1990 Opening of King Bhumibol Adulyadej Library Building.
• 1994 Opening of The Princess Sirindhorn Music Library.
• 1997 Opening of King Rama IX Music Library.
• 1999 Opening of Lat Krabang National Library Branch.
• 2000 Setting up King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hall as the centre of royal activities information in order to honor and commemorate royal activities by demonstrating permanent exhibition within Thavaravathu Building.

Missions

1. Develop the system of collecting, acquiring, studying and researching a variety of national informational intellectual property heritages.
2. Develop standardization of storage and preservation of national informational intellectual property heritage.
3. Create and augment the value of national informational intellectual property heritage.
4. Develop system of rendering services and public relations.
5. Develop personnel potentiality and system of administrative management of national informational intellectual property heritage.

Service hours

Service Room	Day	Time
Ancient Manuscripts	Monday-Friday	9.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
Rare Books	Monday-Friday	9.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
Media Act / ISBN / ISSN	Monday-Friday	9.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
General Publications	Monday-Friday	9.00 a.m. – 6.30 p.m
	Saturday-Sunday	9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Internet / CD-ROM	Monday-Friday	9.00 a.m. – 6.15 p.m.
	Saturday-Sunday	9.00 a.m. – 4.45 p.m.
King Vajiravudh Memorial Hall	Monday-Friday	9.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
Music Library	Monday-Saturday	9.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.

• National Library is closed on National Holidays.

Access to information

1. Select ways of accessing

User can easily choose the way of accessibility from items appearing on OPAC e.g. Title Browse, Author Browse, Call Numbers, ISBN, Series Browse, Subject Browse and Uniform Title.

2. Accessing by selected subject

Selected subjects to be shown on OPAC together with related subjects and total of availability of each subject.

3. Accessing by selection from list of titles

Bibliography of required publication to be shown on OPAC i.e. Titles, Author Names, Place of Publication, Publishers, Date of Publication and Call Numbers.

4. Accessing by source of required publication

OPAC shown details of required publication’s source, e.g. Existing Place, Type of Publication, Call Numbers, Volume and Publication Status.

References

1. ^ National Library, Organization

External links

• The official site of the National Library of Thailand
• Review and photographs inside the National Library, edited by Bangkok Library website

Coordinates: 13°45′08″N 100°30′19″E / 13.752097°N 100.505344°E / 13.752097; 100.505344