Library Legislation: need of Library Legislation | Characteristics of Library Legislation | Components of Library Legislation | Roles of different bodies in enacting Library Legislation.

Library Legislation is capable of regulating various organs of public library services. Library legislation is an instrument for the development of public libraries in a planned manner to ensure establishment, development and maintenance of libraries in a uniform pattern. Library legislation can help in promoting a sense of self consciousness among the people who would feel it obligatory on their part to use services offered by the library.

Library legislation is needed because:

A law helps in creating necessary conditions under which public libraries can be established nation wide.
To solve the problem of land, building, legacies, etc.
Need for centralised services like acquisition, processing, etc.
To make the public library independent from subscription, donation or private gift and to save the library from political influence.
To put the public library on a sound and sure financial footing by way of levy of library tax.

The library legislation must make the library service compulsory and free to one and all.
Library legislation must coordinate and control library activities in full recognition of the people to have free access to the information and knowledge.
It must define the respective responsibilities of the local, state and national government.
Library legislation must be simple and general.
Library legislation must be free from political influence or political changes.
It must meet the every interest of its reader.
Library legislation should create conditions for libraries to flourish.
Library legislation also must take into account the other types of libraries.

The Public Libraries Act, Dr. S. R. Ranganathan recognized the following components:

Preliminaries: The description of all the terms used in the act and the brief title of the act are under this component of library Act.
Network of Libraries: The act should provide for establishment and functioning of public libraries as a pyramidal structure from village, or even a hamlet level, to the state level via the districts covering towns and tehsils, etc.
Top Management: Library Legislation discusses the issues relating to the management of the libraries that will fall under the jurisdiction of the Act, such as who will manage the libraries
Finance: The public library act should mention clearly-

➛The method of receiving the cess from the public;

➛The laws, rules and by laws should be mentioned in the Act;

➛ Rate of library cess/Local extra tax or surcharge;

➛ Goods on which tax will be levied i.e. vehicle, land, house etc ;

Library Committee: The library authority and to the librarians, a committee is to be constituted. The library Act should clearly mention who will be the members of such library committee, what are their functions, rights, qualifications, responsibilities, etc.

The following roles can be played by different bodies in the process of enacting the library legislation in respective states :

Library Association: The local as well as the state and national level library associations can lay down a strategy to get the public legislation passed. They can utilize various media and platforms to propagate the idea of library legislation. Members of the state assembly, especially the concerned ministers should be approached and be presented a strong case for library legislation.
Library Professionals: The library Professionals should make the general as well as the elite people aware about the significant role that can be played by the library.
Political Leader and General Public: political Leaders, who matter in decision making be given special attention in enacting library legislation. The general people should also give pressure to enact the library legislation.
Elite Groups: The elite have the responsible of framing policies, procedures etc. As the leader of the best they can. As such, considering the role that can be played by the library they should take upon themselves the responsibilities of awakening the general public about the library services, facilities etc.

However, In the process of enacting the library legislation, the different roles can be played by different bodies in respective states.

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