Then reading room were in operation in Kuala Belait district in 1953, Bandar Brunei  (Now Bandar Seri Begawan) in 1954, Temburong district in 1957 and Seria in 1973. 

With the none existence of a National library, the libraries of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka had become one by looking at the development and the tasks it undertook in recent years. The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Library is the main sources of information for the public, researchers, etc. 

The Brunei libraries in general are very fast developing institutions. Even though the National library is still non-existence to offer leadership, public libraries are very well developed. While special libraries like the department libraries and government libraries are also growing rapidly. 
 

The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Library
The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Library was established in 1963 whereby at that time it was open only to the staff within the organization. However due to the lack of public library facilities in the country, the library open to the public in 1970. 

Since its establishment, the DBP library has occupied the same premises with the parent organization for about 30 years. In 1993, it saw a significant development for the library, because it occupied the old building at the city center near the RTB building, at Jalan Elizabeth II. 

Currently the DBP library has four district libraries throughout the country and one branch library located in Seria. While the DBP library is also have mobile library service serving an areas close to the branch libraries were therefore abolished. The Mobile library has 43 service points throughout the country. 

The branch libraries were established in Kuala Belait in 1973, Tutong district in September 1975, Temburong district in December 1975 and Seria in February 1977. 

All the branch libraries were initially accommodate at temporary premises up to 1986 onwards they have a new building. 
 

The Library's Objectives

• To promote and encourage the use of books and other materials, and information there/from by the establishment of the lending, and reference libraries as well as mobile services
• To acquire a comprehensive collection of books and other library materials on or about the state of Brunei regardless of where of when published
• To collect and preserve all books and non-book materials received
• To make books and other library materials available for reference and for loan subject to proper safeguard against loss or damaged
• To compile current national and historical bibliographies
• To publish a compile bibliography of newly acquired library holdings periodically for the information of the general public.

Human Resource Development
The library is headed by a Chief Librarian who is responsible to the Director. He is assisted by a Senior Assistant Chief Librarian. The early establishment of the library, there were only 25 library staff including 2 of them were professionals. The library staff growing rapidly, by now the library has 152 staff comprises of professional and non-professionals. 

Currently there are 15 qualified trained staffs in the library and 35 were para professionals and the rest were clerical staff and support staff. 

The qualification possessed by most of the qualified trained staff is a diploma in librarianship and bachelor degree from abroad. The chief librarian himself holds a Master's degree in Library and Information management from the United Kingdom. 
 

Services and facilities
The objective of any library is to provide library facilities and services to the whole community it serves. Likewise the DBP library aims to cater for the needs by providing efficient services and facilities. A full effort has been made to provide satisfactory services. 

Basically, the DBP library provide three types of services: 

• Loan facilities
• Reference and Information Inquiry Services
• Technical and Advice Services

Reference and Information Service
While reference and information services offered by the library are based on the provision of reference materials and assistance of qualified trained staff to deal with inquiries from readers. Local studies and general reference library were the most heavily used by readers besides multimedia services offered. 

Reference and Information services provide seating capacity approximately 100 readers at one time. The services in this section include: 

1. Bruneiana Collection (Local Collection) 
2. ASEAN and Southeast Asian Collection 
3. General Reference 
4. Medical and Health Collection 
5. Multimedia Services 
6. Quick Reference Service

Binding

Technical services offered include binding and book repair services. This is the most popular demand made by various institutions including government departments and private sectors. Most of the university students have used this service to binding their dissertations. Charges are made according to the types of materials that they used. 

Photocopy Service
Photocopy services at reasonable charges. Photocopier service is also heavily used especially by students. Charges are made by 10 cents per copy. Photocopy provided at the lending and reference and information services. 

Acquisition
Acquisition is responsible for ordering library materials such as books, journals and magazines. Most of library materials were imported from overseas like Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States and other country. Most of the library materials in two main languages namely Malay and English. And the total collection of library material up to June 1999 is 389,700 volumes comprising of English and Malay books. 

Advice and Counseling Service
The advice service is provided to any library such as school and departmental libraries which needs help to develop and maintain their services based on request regarding the formation of new libraries which include management, cataloging, ordering, staff training etc. 

The advice is also request on how to maintain a good quality of library materials and to give motivation to the library staff. 
 

Staff Training
In addition, training is also conducted regularly by the DBP library, which is open to local librarians to participate in. Seminars, workshops and short courses are often held to develop the staff's experience and knowledge in library work. 

Training can be divided into three types namely: 

1. Orientation training 
2. On the job training 
3. Professional Development training

Reading Promotion Activities
Reading promotion is also part of the library services to readers, especially to the children. Reading promotion is done by mostly lending services throughout the library activities conducted every school holidays. However activities has been extended to the various schools and villagers to promote reading habits among children and young people. 

Reading promotion program held by the library can be divided into two main categories namely for children and young people. Children Activities include story telling competitions, coloring contest, reading contest, singing and dancing, indoor games, reading club, visit to libraries, stamp collecting club, etc. While activities for young people include book discussion, talks, give us a clue, reading campaign, drama, workshop on traditional music etc. 

Exchange Service
Give and exchange service is provided by the library to various institutions within the country and abroad. At the moment exchange partners in the country have reached about 65 institutions including academic library, school library and government library. While exchange partners abroad including national libraries and other institutions comprising 82. 

Special Service
The library has to move to provide services to special users in the future like the blind people and the disadvantage, effort has been taken already to provide such services by sending staff abroad to conduct survey and to study the administration of the service. 

Collection Development
The DBP Library acquires books and other printed materials in two main languages, namely Malay and English. Emphasis is placed on the collection of Malay books. The average number of books received by the library each month from various suppliers either from local or abroad is approximately two or three thousand volumes. Most library books are imported from overseas especially from United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States of America. At the end of 2001 year, the total library holdings for books have reached 498,203 volumes and periodicals holding of 320 titles. While for non-book media up to 423 titles including audiovisual materials. 

The unique collection and remain heavily used by users were Bruneiana Collection located at the third floor of the premises. Bruneiana Collection has now reach up to 15,000 volumes comprises of books, journals, magazines, annual reports, government publications, etc. Another special collection situated at the second floor is Medical and Health Collection containing materials which relevant to the medical and health. This is to assist readers in solving the various problem of health that need not to go to the doctor, the collection provides books and other information on how to solve and avoid various health problems. 

Membership
Since its inception, membership is free of charge. Registered members may borrow two books for two weeks time. Readers can be member of the library as long as they are Brunei Citizens. 

The prerequisites to become registered members are: 

1. Children below 12 years old 
2. Teens 12 to 20 years old 
3. Adult 21 years old and above

Visitors
Since the library is open to the public, the library recorded visitors comprising of male and female visitors and also Malay and non-Malay. Visitors recorded by the library statistics in the year 2001 were 342,876, comprising Malay and non-Malay. 

Library Publication
The library also produced several publications for public use. Among the Library's publication published since October 2000 are: 

1. Directory of Libraries in Brunei Darussalam 
2. Directory of Librarian 
3. Index to Newspaper article 1997-1999 
4. Index to Magazines 1997-1999 
5. Index to Poetry after Independent 
6. Index to Poetry before Independent 
7. Bibliography on Management 
8. Bibliography on Malaysia

The Library hours
The central library at town center remains open from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. everyday except Fridays and public holidays. District libraries and branch library at Pekan Seria open from Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. It also closed on Fridays and Sundays. 

The mobile library service operates from 9:00 a.m. till 9:45 a.m. Most of its service points are primary schools and small communities in rural areas. 
 

Staff development
At the moment the library's staff has reach 149. The library was headed by a chief librarian who is a Master's holder in Library and Information Management from abroad. 
 

Awg. Hj. Abu Bakar bin Hj. Zainal 
Chief Librarian, 
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka 
Bandar Seri Begawan 
Brunei Darussalam 

30 January, 2002