• Index of this issue

No. 70, March 2011

The National Library of Mongolia was founded in 1921 and it is the biggest information and culture center in Mongolia with its wide scope of services and operations. Its main aim is to become main contributor and leader in the development of a knowledge-based society in Mongolia through the Library's collections and services.

We recognized that our present library services are quite centralized. At the moment, the Library has no services which are based on modern technology. Every province centers and soum centers (smallest administrative unit) have own library. However there are many people left behind the library services as the libraries offer only traditional services which are unable to reach isolated rural population, disadvantaged groups of youth and children, retired people, disabled people and prisoners. According to statistics, our traditional library services cover only 5 per cent of the population. To respond to these challenges, the National Library of Mongolia opened a mobile library service named 'Messenger for the people' with the financial assistance from the World Bank. In the government policies, the idea of a mobile library has been identified as one of the priority goals to make educational and cultural services accessible to unreached population of the country. We intend to provide relevant books for each targeted groups according to their reading needs. For example, rural nomads need more information and books on how to sell their animal products with market prices or how to engage in different types of income generation. Also, basically isolated people lack information about political processes, election and realization of their human rights. The mobile library service will definitely help in their citizenship and making informed choices. It was found out that the mobile library is the most appropriate and accessible service delivery in case of Mongolia.

Collections of books for Mobile library includes donation books from international organizations, children's fictions and non-fiction titles, digital books, videos, DVDs and CDs. The NLM is planning various reading campaign activities to promote reading actions among rural communities. The Mobile Library is planning to serve nationwide and it targets the following groups of people:

• Isolated population in rural areas and urban suburbs, nomads, and agricultural workers
• People in special institutions (prison, hospitals etc.)
• Out of school children
• Disadvantaged youth
• Retired people
• Disabled population and children
• Isolated nomads

Mobile Library reaches rural people
Mobile Library opened on 25th of February 2011 at the National Library of Mongolia. It visited in remote district Nalaikh and a rural military unit on the same day. People were very happy to read new books, newspapers and journals.
(Pictures showing mobile library serving)

Mobile Library in Mongolia