RENCANA-RENCANAj ARTICLESMyanmar National Library+

U Thaw Kaung*

Abstrak: Asul-usul Perpustakaan Negara Myanmar bermula dengan pembukaan Bernard FreeLibrary pada 21 Feb. 1883.Pada awalnya ia berfungsi sebagai perpustakaan awam. Pada tahun1952, kerajaan telah mengambilalih Perpustakaan ini dan ianya mulai dikenali sebagaiPerpustakaan Negara Myanmar secara rasmi. Perpustakaan ini menghadapi berbagai masalah,seperti kekurangan bangunan yang sempurna, kekurangan tempat untuk menyimpan koleksinyayang semakin bertambah, kekurangan kakitangan ikhtisas, ketiadaan pertukaran asing untukmembeli buku-buku dan perkakas yang diperlukan dari luar negeri adalah merupakan masalahserius yang dihadapi oleh Perpustakaan ini. Walau bagaimanapun kerajaan Myanmar mengambilbeberapa langkah positif seperti menambahkan nisbah kakitangan ikhtisas lebih dari 50% dalamtahun 1991, penambahan belanjawan untuk membeli buku, serta pembinaan perpustakaan baruyang dijangka siap pada pertengahan tahun 1991, memberikan harapan bahawa PerpustakaanNegara Myanmar akan menjadi suatu perpustakaan yang canggih; pada masa akan datang.

Abstract: The National Library of Myanmar originated from the Bernard Free Library which beganin 1883. Initially it functioned as a public library. In 1952, the government took over the Libraryand it officially became known as the National Library of Myanmar. Like most national librariesin less developed countries, the National Library of Myanmar faces many problems. The lack ofproper buildings and inadequate space to house growing collections, insufficient trainedprofessional library staff, unavailability of foreign exchange to buy books and library equipmentfrom abroad, are still serious problems. In spite of these myriad problems, the prospects fordevelopment of the National Library are good. The Government is doing all it can to providebuildings and space to house the collections. Establishment posts have been increased by over50% in 1991, and positions for professional librarians have been created. The budget forcollection development is also being increased. If the current trend continues, in a few years timethe National Library of Myanmar will truly become one of the leading libraries in the country andbe able to play its proper role in the development of libraries in Myanmar Naing-gan.

ORIGINS

The National Library of Myanmar Naing-gan 1 hasits origins in the Bernard Free librarY which firstopened its doors to the public in Yanqon," capital ofBritish (Lower) Burma in February 1883. At the timethe last Myanmar king of the Konbaung Dynasty, KingThibaw, was still reigning in Mandalay, the capital ofthe independent Myanmar Kingdom. It was only inNovember 1885 that King Thibaw surrendered to theBritish forces, and the whole country was annexed tothe British crown on 1 January 1886.

The Chief Commissioner of Lower Myanmar, SirCharles Edward Bernard had opened a library of hisprivate collection of books at the centre of Yangon(the present Central State High School). This Librarywas the first free public library in Myanmar Naing-gan,and it was famous as the 'Bernard Free Library'. The

Library was located on Commissioner Road:" it was asmall unimposing one-storey building. The BernardFree Library received valuable donations of booksand other materials in its early years from Chief JusticeSir John Jardine and Pali Professor Childers, U PoHmyin and U Myot, its first proprietors. U Po Hmyinand UMyot donated Rs.10,000 worth of palm-leaf andfolded paper manuscripts (parabaik) to the Library. In1920 the Library bought the palm-leaf and papermanuscript collection of Kinwun Mingyi U Kaung5forRs.15,000, and in 1924, the collection of U Tin (PaganWundauk) for Rs.5,000. Donation of books and manu-scripts were received regularly. The Management ofthe Librarywas entrusted to the educational syndicateof the British Government. Annual grants were givento the Library by the Municipal Board and Govern-ment. By the time the Second World War engulfedMyanmar Naing-gan in 1942, the Library hadcollected 20,305 printed books, and about 7,500

* Chief Ubrarian, Universities' Central Library. Yangon, Myanmar

Kekal Abadi 10(2) Jun 1991

manuscripts. During World War II, the Bernard FreeLibrarywas totally damaged. It lost many of its printedbooks, and by the time war ended in 1945, there wereonly about 6,000 books left. Fortunately, due to theefforts of U Thein Han," the University of YangonLibrarian and a group of dedicated scholars, the entiremanuscript collection of the Library, moved to theprecincts of the Shwe Dagon Pagoda during the threewar years, survived intact.

Establishment of the National Library

The Bernard Free Library re-opened after the waron 1August 1948. Annual grants-in-aid were given bythe Government and Municipal Board as before. InJune 1952, the Library was transferred to the Govern-ment and moved to Jubilee HaW on the Shwe DagonPagoda Road.

After the Bernard Free Library was taken over bythe Ministry of Culture, some books and other mate-rials were added to the collection and the NationalLibrary was established. The National Library and theNational Museum were both housed in the JubileeHall, and these two institutions at the time formed theInstitute of Union Culture.

BUILDINGS

One of the main problems which has plagued theMyanmar National Library has been the lack of aproper building to house its collections. Since itsinception in 1952 the Library has had to shift four timesto different buildings in down-town Yangon.

After the war Bernard Free Library was given toYangon Municipality it was at first housed in the CityHall. After the government take-over in June 1952, itwas moved to Jubilee Hall where it was housed for adecade till June 1962. The Revolutionary Governmentcame into power in March 1962, and the Minister forCulture decided that Jubilee Hall should be used onlyfor the National Museum, and the National Librarywas shifted in June of that year to Pansodan (Phayre)Street. For over two years it remained there and inearly 1965 it was once again shifted to the third floorof the City Hall where it remained for nearly anotherdecade. On 24 December 1984 it was again moved tothe New Secretariat Building on Strand Road where itis at present located. The National Library is at presentlocated on the first and second floors of the Six-Storeyed BuildingS on Kanna Lan," in front of theYangon Port main wharfs and jetties, sharing with

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other departments of various ministries the floor areaof 11,316 sq. feet. This area is too small for theNational Library to perform its proper library func-tions. A new five-storey building is to be constructedat the corner of Shwe-gon-dine Road and Kaba AyePagoda Road in the next few years.

It was only after the military takeover of 18 Sep-tember 1988, that the State Law and Order Restora-tion Committee has arranged for a new building to bebuilt for the National Museum on Pyay Road, and inmid-l990 acquired about 2.7 acres of land on a smallhillock" in the suburbs of Bahan, about three milesfrom Yangon city centre, to use for the NationalLibrary. Ownership of the site has been transferredto the National Library in June 1991. This site has anold three-storey building from pre-war days formerlyused as a middle school which is being renovated andnew buildings will also be built on the site. Buildingplans are being drawn up by the Yangon Institute ofTechnology architects (part of the university) in con-sultation with librarians and Department of Cultureofficials. There are plans to shift the National Libraryin 1991 to this new site, and we are hoping that it willat last find a permanent home there.

STAFF

Another big problem facing the Myanmar NationalLibrary is the lack of adequate professional staff.

A few years after the National Library was estab-lished in 1952, the Deputy Librarian of the University ofYangon Library, U Than Htut was appointed as theNational Librarian in 1955. U Than Htut had been tothe U.K. in 1947 and studied librarianship at the Schoolof Librarianship at Loughborough College, and be-come an A.L.A. in 1951. His assistant, Daw NyuntMyint, went to Columbia University in the late 1950sand obtained the Masters in Library Science degree.When U Than Htut was promoted to the post ofDirector of the Cultural Institute in 1960, Daw NyuntMyint became the National Librarian and was in thatpost for about a decade until she took early retirementaround 1970. There were no other professionallyqualified librarians at the National Library for a numberof years till the late 1980s when two professionallibrarians from the University Library System joinedthe National Library. They are U Khin Maung Tin, MA(Philosophy), Dip. Lib. (Yangon Univ.) (with threemonths in-service training at the National Library inSingapore); and U Myint Kyaing, B.Sc. (Yangon Univ.)Dip. Lib. (Yangon Univ.) and Graduate Diploma inInformation Management (Llbrarianship) from the

University of New South Wales. Apart from the twolibrarians mentioned above, in mid-1991, five newposts for professional library staff have been ap-proved by the MinistryofCulture, and graduates of thePostgraduate Diploma Course in Library Sciencefrom the University of Yangon have been appointed.There are now seven professional posts, but at presentonly six are filled.

At present there are only about 23 posts alto-gether from Librarian to library attendant, and theNational Librarian has the status and salary equivalentonly to an assistant lecturer in the university. In theUniversity Library System there is one post with aprofessor's status and salary; 8 library posts rankedas lecturers; 34 library posts at the assistant lecturers'level; and 38 library posts at the level of tutors.

In the last three months of 1990, the NationalLibrary was promised more posts, and the number oflibrary posts will be raised from the present 23 to a totalof 38, an increase of 15 positions. In the new setup tobe implemented in 1991, the National Librarian will beat a rank equivalent to a lecturer at the university; otherappointments include three librarians at the assistantlecturers' level and six assistant librarians at the tutorlevel.

BUDGET

The National Library has also been hampered bylack of adequate funds for collection development.The annual budget is usually around 100,000 kyats(one lakh) 11 to buy books and periodicals. This is onlyabout one tenth of what the Universities' CentralLibrary has been getting for its annual budget. Com-pared to the University Library System, the NationalLibrary's budget is only about what a smaller univer-sity library gets for its collection development. In thelast two years the National Library has been able toincrease its book budget, but not substantially.

The lack of adequate funds prevents the Nationallibrary from buying old Myanmar manuscripts onpalm-leaf (pesa), and paper (parabaik), and it is ableto buy only a few old printed books and periodicalsWhich come on the local second-hand (antiquarian)market each year. Like most libraries in Myanmar, theNational library also lacks funds in foreign exchangeto buy from countries outside Myanmar. Gifts anddonations from foreign foundations and organiza-tions cannot be accepted. Out of its total book budgetof about kyats one lakh, kyats 40,000 are used forbuying books, and kyats 60,000 are used for buying

periodicals all in the local bookshops. Within the lastfour years, prices of Myanmar books and periodicalshave risen by about 20 times due to inflation. It is clearthat a great deal still needs to be done in collection-building and consolidation of the National Library.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

In mid-1991 the National Library's book collectionstood at about 139,000, of which about 105,000volumes were in Myanmar language, and the rest inEnglish (about 34,000 volumes). The periodicalcollection comprised 412 titles in Myanmar (about326,965 issues), and 84 titles in English (about 123,320issues). The manuscript collection had 9,158 pesa(palm-leaf mss. bundles) and 1,700 parabaik (paper-folding mss. volumes), a total of 10,858 volumes.Amongst the rare manuscripts are about 505 items inMon language and 55sarkhwei rolls of palm-leaf (i.e.Royal Orders, Orders ofthe Hluttaw Parliament, etc.).Included in this collection of rare mss. are about 6,600mss. from Taungwingyi Museum and Library in Cen-tral Myanmar, brought down to Yangon on the ordersof President U Ne Win in the late 1970s, a few monthsbefore the building and most of its collections wereburnt in a big fire. Some very rare items are in thiscollection and they were fortunately saved just in time.

In 1965 the book collection stood at about 40,000volumes. Therefore during a period of about 25 yearsthe book collection increased by about one lakh(100,000) items. In the English book collection areabout 2,000 volumes of rare items on Myanmar. TheLibrary acquired the Darwcod'" Collection of rarebooks in English on Myanmar especially from the late19th century and early 20th century colonial period --a total of 791 items.

Under the Press and Publishers Registration Actof 1964, the National Library is the only Library whichenjoys depository rights in Myanmar. A copy of everybook registered under this Act is to be deposited atthe National Library. But in actual fact the Libraryobtains only about one third of all items published inthe Union of Myanmar. Government publications areexempted from Registration under this Act, andofficial publications are usually not sent to the PressScrutiny and registration Department of the Ministry ofHome Affairs, the Department which collects publica-tions for the National Library.

Inearly 1991 the Librarian of the National Libraryand the Chief Librarian of the Universities CentralLibrary held a meeting in the Press Scrutiny and

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Registration Office to discuss with PublicationOfficers and representatives of various governmentdepartments to solicit their help in collection deve-lopment of the National Library and the UniversitiesCentral Library.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The Ministry of Culture has two main directorates,namely

(1) The Cultural Institute and(2) The Department of Fine Arts (see Chart I).

The Cultural Institute is headed by a DirectorGeneral (Dr. Ye Htut). The Institute is made up of twocomponent departments: the National Library; andthe National Museum, both located in the capital,Yangon. Out of the 14 States and Divisions whichmake up the Union of Myanmar, there are now 12State and Division National Libraries and Museums allunder the Cultural Institute. In the States and Divisionsthe branches of the National Library and the NationalMuseum are combined and are usually housed in asingle building.

In recent years newly-designed buildings for theState and Division National Libraries and Museumshave been built and opened in Mandalay (MandalayDivision), Mawtarnyine " (capital of Mon State),Taunggyi (capital of Shan State), and Pathein'"(Ayeyawady" Division). There are also branches ofthe National Library and Museum in Sittwe16 (Bakhine?State), Myitkyina (Kachin State), Loikaw (Kayah State),Hpa-an 18 (Kayin 19State), Hakka (Chin State), Sagaing(Sagaing Division) and Sago20 (Sago Division).

The only two divisions which do not at presenthave branches of the National Library and Museumare the Tanlntharyi" Division and the Magway22Division.

TECHNICAL PROCESSING ANDSTANDARDIZATION

The National Library,like most libraries inMyanmar,uses the Dewey Decimal Classification System andthe Anglo-American Cataloguing Code. Professionallibrary training is being carried out since 1971 inMyanmar, solely at the Department of Library ScI-ence, University of Yangon, and very few librarians geta chance to train outside Myanmar. The Departmentof Library Science at the University is headed by the

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Chief Librarian of the Universities' Central Library, andstandardization is being achieved mainly throughUCL, and not the National Library -- at least atpresent.

For the Postgraduate Library Diploma Course atthe University, DDC and MCR are taught in somedetail, and also the compilation of bibliographies. Thesix protesslonat librarians at the National Library are allgraduates of this course.

UCL and the Department of Library Science at theUniversity have also worked out expansions for DDCnumbers on Suddhism, on Myanmar language andliterature and on Myanmar history (with period divi-sions) and geography (with area divisions). DDCnumbers have also been assigned or expanded forsubjects popular with Myanmar writers, such as histo-ries and legends of pagodas, alchemy, traditionalmedicine, astrology, fortune-telling and so on. Sub-ject headings in Myanmar language have also beencompiled. As the MCR for Myanmar personal namesis inadequate, UCL and the Department of LibraryScience has compiled extensive lists of Myanmarpennames and pseudonyms (contained in twomimeographed foolscap-sized volumes), and alsorules for Myanmar personal and religious names andtitles of royalty and nobility, all in collaboration withIFLA, and also rules for names of persons for some ofthe main ethnic groups of Myanmar.

Through UCL and the Department of Library Sci-ences, standardization is being achieved at all themain libraries in Myanmar,' including the NationalLibrary. It is hoped that eventually the National Librarywill take a leading role in library development andstandardization in conjunction with UCL.

The National Library has separate card cataloguesfor Myanmar books and manuscripts, and also forbooks in English. There are typed cards for Author,Title and Subject Catalogues. Filing is by ALA filingrules, word by word, and for alphabetization inMyanmar script, the system worked out by theMyanmar Language Commission during the periodwhen the Chief Librarian of UCL served as secretary tothis Commission (i.e. from 1971 to 1976) is used. TheMyanmar alphabetization scheme was widely circu-lated in several drafts all over Myanmar, and the finaldraft printed in Myanmar newspapers before it wasfinally approved. It is now used not only by theNational Library, but by all libraries in Myanmar.

Apart from the card catalogues the NationalLibrary also maintains 25 Accession Registers in big

ledger-sized volumes for different types of materialsand according to the way inwhich they were acquired,e.g. Myanmar government publications, UN deposi-tory, presentation and gifts, etc. There is also a VisibleIndex card catalogue for periodicals by title.

The National Library obtains one copy on depositthrough the Press and Publishers Registration Act. Itbuys two copies of significant non-fiction, and onecopy of fiction published in the country.

The library is open to all, but does not lend anymaterials except on inter-library loan to some of thebigger libraries in Myanmar, like UCL with which it hasclose inter-library lending arrangements. No lendingor deposit fees are charged. The library material canbe consulted in three reading rooms:

(a) General Reading Room,(b) Periodicals Reading Room on the first floor, and(c) Manuscripts Reading Room on the second floor.

The closed stacks are not open to the public, andthe catalogues have to be consulted and call slipsentered for books, periodicals and mss. required byreaders. Copying by hand or photocopying is allowedonly after permission has been given by the librarianin charge.

CONCLUSION: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

Like most national libraries in least developedcountries." the National Library of Myanmar facesmany problems. The lack of proper buildings and

inadequate space to house growing collections, in-sufficient trained professional library staff, unavailabil-ity of foreign exchange to buy books and libraryequipment from abroad, are all serious problemsfacing the National Library of Myanmar.

Inspite of all these myriad problems, the pros-pects for development of the National Library aregood. The Government is doing all it can be to providebuildings and space to house the collections.

Staff positions have been increased by over 50%in 1991, and positions for professional librarianscreated. The budget for collection development isalso being increased. With the appointment of sixlibrarians who have obtained the Postgraduate Di-ploma in Library Science from the University of Yangon,the National Library will now be able to take a moreactive part in library professional activities. The twotop positions in the National Library have now beenfilled by professional librarians with many years ofexperience in the University Library System, profes-sionallythe most developed library system in Myanmar.

The librarians of the National Library are nowworking closely with their former colleagues of theUniversities Central Library and other university libra-ries, especially in the fields of library training, compi-lation of both current and retrospective bibliogra-phies, and standardization of library technical process-ing and bibliographical control. If the current trendcontinues, in a few years' time the National Library ofMyanmarwill truly become one of the leading librariesin the country and able to play its proper role in thedevelopment of libraries in Myanmar Naing-gan.

CHART I

MINISTRY OF CULTURE

FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT CULTURAL INSTITUTE DEPARTMENT

Schools for Music,Drama and DancingYangon & Mandalay

Schools for PaintingSculpture & Graphic Arts

Yangon & Mandalay

National LibraryYangon

National MuseumYangon

12 State and DivisionNational Museums & Libraries

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NOTES+ This article includes information contained in U Khin Maung Tin's 'A Brief History of the National Library of

Myanmar'. (An unpublished typescript in English by the National Librarian), 2p.

1The official name forthe country (Union of Myanmar). Formerly known as the Union of Burma and between1974 and 1988 as the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma.

2Named after the Chief Commissioner of British Burma, Sir Charles Edward Bernard.

3 Known as Rangoon until mid-1989.

4 Known after Independence in Jan. 1948 as Bogyoke Aung San Street.5 U Kaung was the last Myanmar Foreign Minister during King Mindon's and King Thibaw's reigns. A noted

scholar and author, his collection is still a valuable source of Myanmar literature, law, and records in theNational Library.

6 Well-known Myanmar poet, writer and scholar, who wrote under the pen-name Zawgyi.

7 An Assembly Hall in Yangon, built to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Nowdemolished.

8 The New Secretariat is now commonly known by this name.

9 New name for Strand Road.10Locally called Burjorjee Kon (hill) after its pre-war Indian owner. It is at the corner of Kaba Aye Pagoda Road

and Shwegondine Road in the Komin Kochin Quarter of Bahan Township.11The exchange rate is about kyats 6.5 to US$1. Therefore the budget isaboutUS$15,384. Butasbooksand other imported materials are available in Myanmar Naing-gan only at the unofficial black market ratewhich is about ten times the official rate, it means that this is only US$1,538.

12J.w. Darwood, the rich proprietor of Messrs. J.w. Darwood, who first introduced tramways in the capital.

13Formerly known as Moulmein.

14Formely known as Bassein.15Formerly known as Irrawaddy, i.e. the Irrawaddy River deltaic division.

16Formerly known as Akyab.

17Formerly known as Arakan.

18Formerly known as Pa-an.

19Formerly known as Karen.

20 Formerly known as Pegu.

21Formerly known as Tenasserim Division.

22 Formerly known as Magwe Division.

23Myanmar was accorded LDC status in early 1988 by the UN.

REFERENCES1. Amyotha Sarkyi taik [National Library], Yangon, Department of Culture, the National Library, 1965. 19p.,

photos, plan (fold). In Myanmar language.2. Ba Htwe, 'Yanei Amyotha Sarkyi taik' [Present-day National Library], Yangon, Kyemon (daily newspaper),

12 March 1985, p.5. In Myanmar language.3. Bernard Free Library, Catalogue ... General Department, Rangoon, Government Printer for Educational

Syndicate, 1917.

4. U Khin Maung Tin, A Brief History of the National Library of Myanmar, 1991, 2p. (Unpublished typescript.)

5. DawTin Aye Kyl, 'Myetmhout khit Myanmar Sarkyi taik mya' [Myanmar libraries of modern times] InSarkyitaik Lokngan, Yangon, Sarpay Beikman, 1971, p.82-86. In Myanmar language.

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