National Library of Thailand

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The National Library of Thailand ( Thai : หอสมุดแห่งชาติ , pronunciation: hɔ̌ː.sà.mùt.hɛ̀ŋ.tɕʰâːt ) is the national library of Thailand in Bangkok . The responsible government agency is the Fine Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture.

history

Up until the end of the 19th century, the concept of a library , i.e. a repository for books, was new to the Siamese kingdom. There were collections of manuscripts in the royal palace and in royal temples ( Wat ) , as well as collections of books that were kept in other temples of the kingdom in the so-called Hor Trai . However, these collections only consisted of certain works of a religious nature, which consisted of palm leaf manuscripts ( เครื่อง สาน ใบ ลาน - Krueang San Bai Lan) or of so-called Samut Khoi mouse scripts - สมุด ข่อย "books" made of paper, which are taken from the Khoi Plant ( Streblus asper ) is produced.

Due to increased contacts between the royal family and the West, the need arose for the " improvement and increase " of knowledge. The first library in Thailand was founded in the early 1880s as a kind of club for the Thai aristocracy . It was called the Vajirañāna Library ( หอ พระ สมุด วชิร ญาณ - Ho Phra Samut Wachirayan ); Prince Mongkut was ordained a monk under this name before he became king.

On the occasion of the celebrations for the 100th birthday of King Mongkut, his son King Chulalongkorn decreed on October 12, 1905 that the three royal collections of the Vajirayana , the Mandira Dhamma ( หอ พระ มณเฑียร ธรรม - Ho Phra Monthian Tham ) and the Buddhasasana Sangaha Library ( หอ พุทธ สาสน สังคหะ - Ho Phuttha Satsana Sangkhaha ) and open to the public as the library for the capital ( หอสมุด สำหรับ พระนคร - Ho Samut Samrab Phra Nakhon ) on the ground floor of the Chakri Maha Prasat clay hall in the Grand Palace in Bangkok. At the same time, the German linguist and Pali expert Oskar Frankfurter was appointed senior librarian .

The "Mandira Dhamma Collection" was initiated in 1793 by King Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) , it contained the first royal edition of the Pali Canon (Tipitaka) after the re-establishment of Siam. Other editions were added later, such as one of the Mon and one Sinhala . The Buddhasasana Sangaha Collection was started in 1900 by Chulalongkorn himself, who wanted to collect books on Buddhism centrally. It contained various books in Khom script (an old Khmer alphabet), Buddhist commentaries, grammars of the Pali language, Jatakas in various verse forms , Buddhist treatises in Lao , Mon, Sinhala, Japanese , Sanskrit and in Latin script, and stone inscriptions related to Buddhism.

Later the library for the capital was relocated to the "Eintracht Building" ( ศาลา ส หทัย สมาคม - Sala Sahathai Samakhom ) of the Grand Palace and in 1916, at the instigation of King Vajiravudh, to the so-called Thawon Watthu Building ( ตึก ถาวรวัตถุ ) at Sanam Luang . The President of the Board of Directors was appointed Prince Damrong Rajanubhab .

  • Chakri Maha Prasat

  • Sala Sahathai Samakhom

  • Thawon Watthu building at Sanam Luang

The capital's library was later called "Wachirayan National Library of Siam" in English. With the end of the absolute monarchy on May 3, 1932, the name of the library was changed to its current name ( หอสมุดแห่งชาติ - Ho Samut Haeng Chat). In 1947 another building was built behind the Thawon Watthu building to house the estate of Prince Damrong. This consisted of a collection of rare books and personal items belonging to the Prince. This collection was called the Damrong Rajanubhab Library. It is now in the Varadis Palace , the former residence of Prince Damrong.

In 1962 the Thai government decided that the library needed a new building. The area on Thanon Samsen (Samsen Street) , right next to the royal Wasukri landing stage, from which the traditional barge processions begin, was intended for this purpose . The new building in Thai architectural style was officially opened on May 5, 1966. In 2007 an extension building was planned, which is located directly behind the previous library. Construction started towards the end of 2008.

Senior librarians

Branches

The following 17 branches were gradually opened in the various provinces:

  • In central Thailand:
  1. In Buri National Library Branch, Sing Buri Province (1972)
  2. Ratchamangkhalaphisek National Library Branch, Kanchanaburi Province (1997)
  3. Suphanburi National Library Branch ( Suphan Buri Province , 1998)
  4. Lat Krabang Chaloerm Prakiat National Library Branch, Lat Krabang , Bangkok (1990)
  • In Northern Thailand:
  2. Lamphun National Library Branch ( Lamphun Province , 1978)
  3. Ratchamangkhalaphisek National Library Branch, Chiang Mai Province (1989)
  • In the northeast region:
  2. Prakhon Chai National Library Branch, Buri Ram Province (1985)
  3. King Rama IX National Library Branch, Nakhon Ratchasima Province (1987)
  4. Queen Sirikit National Library Branch, Nakhon Phanom Province (1994)
  • In the eastern region:
  2. Chon Buri National Library Branch ( Chon Buri Province , 1983)
  3. Ratchamangkhalaphisek National Library Branch, Chanthaburi Province (1990)
  • In southern Thailand:
  2. Wat Charoen Samanakit National Library Branch, Phuket Province (1993)
  3. Nakhon Si Thammarat National Library Branch ( Nakhon Si Thammarat Province , 1978)
  4. Wat Donrak National Library Branch, Songkhla Province (1982)
  5. Kanchanaphisek National Library Branch, Songkhla Province (1997)
  6. Queen Sirikit National Library Branch, Songkhla Province (1999)
  7. Queen Sirigit National Library Branch, Trang Province (1999)

function

The National Library should:

  1. Acquire, categorize, analyze, preserve and hold materials of national intellectual and cultural heritage in the form of stone inscriptions, manuscripts, traditional books, palm leaf manuscripts, printed publications and audio-visual and electronic media about Thailand from home and abroad ,
  2. Research and develop library services and administration,
  3. to make the materials mentioned under 1 available to the public throughout the country,
  4. monitor a national information system and inter-librarian cooperation with computer support,
  5. Prepare and standardize catalogs according to the ISBN and ISSN system,
  6. manage and maintain the full collection of native materials and materials related to Thailand,
  7. advise the affiliated libraries and information centers.

Duration

In April 2008, the collections of the National Library had the following materials:

  • General Collection:
  • Digital collection:
  • Audio-visual collection:
    • 00.337 video tapes
    • 02,734 music tapes, CDs, etc.
    • 23,879 music notes
    • 02,105 photos, images

literature

  • Patrick Jory: Books and the Nation: The Making of Thailand's National Library . In: Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Volume 31, Number 2, September 2000, Singapore University Press, Singapore. ISSN  0022-4634 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ ประกาศ จัดการ หอ พระ สมุด วชิร ญาณ ให้ เป็น หอสมุด สำหรับ พระนคร รัตนโกสินทร์ ศก ๑๒๔ . In: Royal Gazette . 22, No. 29, October 15, 1905, p. 619.
  2. ↑ a b "Conference of Directors of National Libraries", Quebec City, Canada, AUGUST 13, 2008 ( Memento of the original from October 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (in English - last accessed on March 10, 2010; RTF ; 83 kB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.cdnl.info

Coordinates: 13 ° 46 ′ 20.4 "  N , 100 ° 30 ′ 17.6"  E