National Library of Mauritius, National library in Port Louis, Mauritius.
The National Library of Mauritius is housed on the second floor of the Fon Sing Building and holds more than 500,000 items available to the public. The collection includes books, newspapers, magazines, audio recordings, and video materials spanning subjects from agriculture to religion and many fields in between.
The library was established through the National Library Act in 1996 and opened to the public in January 2000. It was created to serve as a central repository for knowledge and information resources needed by the nation.
Under the 1996 National Library Act, every printer and producer in Mauritius must deposit six free copies of each publication or non-print item with the Director. This legal deposit rule, still in force, is why the Mauritius collection holds newspapers, music scores, maps, films and audiovisual items produced on the island.
The library occupies the Fon Sing Building in Port-Louis, while the National Archives sit separately at Coromandel; a new building under construction in Moka is planned to house both institutions. The legal deposit rule obliges every printer and producer in Mauritius to deliver six free copies of each publication or non-print item to the Director.
Under the 1996 National Library Act, every printer and producer in Mauritius must deposit six free copies of each publication or non-print item with the Director of the National Library. This legal deposit rule, rather than purchases, is the main source of the collection, which reached 665,000 items by June 2020.
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