Regulations for the Accreditation of Libraries

Issued pursuant to
Section 9, Paragraph one and three
of the Law On Libraries

1. These Regulations prescribe the procedures and terms for the accreditation of State and local government founded libraries, as well as such private libraries that select to perform accreditation.

2. A State or local government library shall submit a submission regarding the accreditation of the library not later than within a time period of five years after the registration of the library.

3. An accredited library shall be issued a library accreditation certificate (Annex 1).

4. The Ministry of Culture shall organise the procedures of accreditation, taking into account the proposals of the Latvian Library Council.

5. The Ministry of Culture shall approve the accreditation schedule of libraries on the basis of a proposal of the Latvian Library Council.

6. The accreditation of local government libraries for the status of a local level library shall be commenced in accordance with the accreditation schedule of libraries prepared by the main library of the relevant region and approved by the Ministry of Culture after the accreditation of the main library of the relevant region (district, republic cities).

7. In order to apply for the accreditation of a library, the head (director) of the library shall submit to the Ministry of Culture a submission (Annex 2).

8. The head (director) of a library shall indicate the following in a submission:

8.1. the name of the library, the head (director) of the library, the registration number of the library in the Register of Libraries and the founder of the library;

8.2. the address and contact details of the library;

8.3. the date of the foundation of the library;

8.4. the date of acceptance of the by-law (rules of procedure, statutes) of the library, as well as the date of amendments to the by-law (rules of procedure, statutes); and

8.5. the status that the library would like to obtain after accreditation.

9. The following information and documents shall be appended to a submission:

9.1. a copy of the foundation document of the library;

9.2. a copy of the by-law (rules of procedure, statutes) of the library;

9.3. a copy of the directions for the use of the library;

9.4. information regarding the library:

9.4.1. strategy for the operation of the library;

9.4.2. management and facilities of the library;

9.4.3. library staff and qualifications thereof;

9.4.4. financing of the operation of the library;

9.4.5. information technologies in the library;

9.4.6. services of the library;

9.4.7. the library collection; and

9.4.8. the compliance with the conditions of the relevant status specified in the Law, which the library wants to obtain after accreditation.

10. If a library is nominated for the status of a regional main library, in addition to the documents referred to in Paragraph 9 of these Regulations, the following shall be appended to a submission:

10.1. a copy of the relevant decision of the district council, if the library is nominated for the status of the district main library in the territory of the relevant district;

10.2. a copy of the relevant decision of the republic city council, if the library is nominated for the status of the regional main library in the territory of the relevant republic city; or

10.3. in districts without any library that complies with the conditions of a regional main library, a copy of the relevant decision of the district council and a copy of a contract regarding agreement of the district council and the republic city council that the relevant republic city library will function as the regional main library in the territory of the district.

11. The accreditation of a library shall be commenced after the receipt of the submission and the documents referred to in Paragraphs nine and ten of these Regulations.

12. The time period for the examination of the submission for accreditation shall be determined by the regulatory enactments regulating the administrative process.

13. If the submitted documents do not contain sufficient information, the Ministry of Culture shall send a notification to the submitter, wherein the necessary information shall be requested.

14. If a submitter has not provided the necessary information required within a time period of 14 days after the receipt of the notification referred to in Paragraph thirteen of these Regulations, the submission shall not be examined and such submission shall be returned to the submitter.

15. After the receipt of all of the documents necessary for accreditation, the Ministry of Culture shall submit such documents to the Latvian Library Council, which shall examine the submitted documents, familiarise with the actual conditions in a library, as well as prepare an opinion regarding the compliance of the relevant library with the conditions of accreditation.

16. The Minister for Culture shall take a decision regarding the accreditation of a library, taking into account the opinion of the Latvian Library Council regarding the compliance of the relevant library with the conditions of accreditation.

17. If the activity of an accredited library does no comply with the conditions of accreditation provided for in the Law, the Minister for Culture shall cancel the accreditation of the library.

18. The Ministry of Culture shall cancel the status assigned to a library as a result of accreditation, if the relevant library is being liquidated.

19. Costs, which are related to organisational issues of the procedures of accreditation and drawing up of accreditation certificates of libraries, shall be covered from the State budget funds granted to the Ministry of Culture.

20. Library accreditation certificates issued prior to the coming into force of these Regulations shall remain in force until the end of the accreditation term.

21. Cabinet Regulation No. 37 of 2 February 1999, Regulations for the Accreditation of Libraries (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 1999, No. 32/33) is repealed.

Prime Minister A. Kalvītis

Minister for Culture H. Demakova

Annex 1
Cabinet Regulation No. 709
29 August 2006

Library Accreditation Certificate
No. ___

to which the status of _____________________________________ library has been assigned as a result of accreditation.

Place for a seal

Minister for Culture H. Demakova

Annex 2
Cabinet Regulation No. 709
29 August 2006

Submission for the Accreditation of a Library

1. The name of the library, the head (director) of the library, the registration number of the library in the Register of Libraries and the founder of the library

2. The address and contact details of the library

5. The status that the library would like to obtain after accreditation

In the Annex:

1. A copy of the foundation document of the library on ___ p.

2. A copy of the by-law (rules of procedure, statutes) of the library on ___ p.

3. A copy of the directions for use of the library on ___ p.

4. Information regarding the library on ____ p.

Place for a seal Place for a seal
Minister for Culture H. Demakova

Translation © 2007 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre)