Prime Minister’s Office Library
Prime Minister's Office Library, a special library, has been established to provide reference services to its parent organization (Prime Minister's Office). It came into being in the present form in 1991 after parliamentary system of government was formed. Before 1991 it was Governor’s Secretarite Library which strated in 17/7/1963. Historically the Governor's Office Library in the Governor House (Bangabhaban) was turned into the President Secretariat Library. Whatever be the name, the library was and still is the Head of the State or Head of the Government Office Library. Government Documents like Gazettes have been preserved here since 1948. The President Secretariat was shifted in the old Sangsad Bhaban at Old Air Port Road, Tejgaon, Dhaka in 1987 along with this library. The Library building is a modern A/C regulated two storied duplex type building.
Collections
The Prime Minister's Office Library has more than 52 thousands reading materials. The library materials are arranged under Dewey Decimal Classification System. More than 26 thousands books have been entered in the online library management system. This library has some archival collections like Gazettes from 1948, historic documents, and Reports of Several Commissions, etc. This library deals with a large number of News Papers, Magazines & Journals. It provides News Papers & Magazines to Hon'ble Prime Minister, his/her Press Cell and other high officials directly as daily routine work. It provides fulltime free internet facilities to the users. It helps the users to use the computer and internet. At present library collects 358 dailies of 11 titles’ news paper, 7 titles’ Bengali, 9 titles’ English magazines and 11 titles’ journals for its users.
The Prime Minister's Office Library has continued to modernize and improve its e-library services. This library is now authorized to use the e-resources of the United Nations-recognized International Consortium 'Research for Life'. As a member of this consortium, the Library of the Prime Minister's Office can use the e-books, journals, reports and various e-theses of 160 famous publishing houses for free.
A new section named 'Bangabandhu Corner' has recently been set up in this library which has made the library more attractive. Various books on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and various photographs of him have been added in the 'Bangabandhu Corner'.
Library Users
Though it is a reference library, it has developed its collection of various subjects to provide the required information to the users. Usually, only the officials of the Prime Minister's Office can use and borrow the books from this library, but any interested citizen may use this library with the prior permission of the authority. Recently a decision has been taken as-the library can be used by the researchers with the prior permission of the authority. The number of borrowers has crossed the 900 mark. Besides this number about 500 users have been using this library directly or indirectly.
E-Library Initiatives
It is the first Administrative e-Library in Bangladesh. This library has started web based database for bibliographic record retrieval and book lending activities. Book lending system is fully automated. The bibliographic records are being included in database day to day as per the capacity of the library personnel. Legal Matter Repository System is a repository system, which has been included published acts and ordinances, and other legal matters.
The library provides the following facilities as:
a) Book materials services along with online book search facility (OPAC)
b) Legal Matter Repository Services
c) Digital/ Virtual Library Services
Digital/ Virtual Library Services
This facility provides you various e-information facilities. It will provide you the links of its own documents or it will also provide the hyperlinked document. However, it will provide you all the electronic documents. i.e.
> E-Law section & Policies
>E-Book
> E-journal section
> Virtual Tour World Wide
> E- Dictionaries
> Prize Bond Results
> E- Encyclopedia
> Different types necessary Forms.
> Government Calendar (Old & New)
> Maps of Bangladesh (Country, District, Upazila/ Level)