                              PUBLIC LIBRARIES  ġ CAP. 92.   1
CHAPTER 92
PUBLIC LIBRARIES ORDINANCE
To repeal and to re-enact with amendments the law relating to Public
Libraries.
(28th May, 1937) *
Enacted by ORDINANCE XIV of 1937,as amended by Act XVII of 1955:
Ordinance XXV of 1962; Legal Notices: 4 of 1963, 46 of 1965; Acts: XXXI
and XLI of 1966, XXII of 1976, XLIX of 1981 and XIII of 1983.
Short title.
Ordinance.
Interpretation. 
Amended by: 
XVII.1955.2; 
XLI.1966.5; 
XXII.1976.4. 
Cap. 248.
2. For the purposes of this Ordinance -
"author" includes the person who undertakes the editing of a
work of another author or who writes comments thereon;
 "Minister" means the Minister responsible for public libraries;
 "printer" means the person referred to as such in subsection (1)
of section 35 of the Press Act, or the person licensed as such under
section 43 of the said Act, as the case may be;
"work" includes every literary, scientific or artistic book, part or
division thereof, pamphlet, monograph, newspaper, periodical,
sheet of music, sheet of letterpress, map, plan, chart or table
separately published, but does not include any second or
subsequent edition of a work unless such edition contains additions
or alterations either in the letterpress or in the maps, prints or other
engravings belonging thereto.
Libraries to which 
the Ordinance 
applies. 
Amended by: 
XXV.1962.4; 
L.N. 4 of 1963; 
XXXI. 1966.2; 
XLI.1966.2;
XXII. 1976.4.
3. This Ordinance shall apply to the National Library of
Malta and the Gozo Public Library, and to any other public library
to which the Minister shall, by notice published in the Government
Gazette, order that this Ordinance shall apply.
Libraries to be 
under the direction 
of Librarian. 
Amended by:
L.N. 46 of 1965. 
Substituted by: 
XLI. 1966.3.
4. (1) All libraries to which this Ordinance applies shall be
under the direction of an officer to be styled Librarian, who shall
also be the keeper of manuscripts and public records conserved in
such libraries.
(2) The Minister shall appoint annually for each of the libraries
aforesaid a committee for the purpose of tendering advice on the
acquisition of printed works and manuscripts and on other matters
generally concerning the library service.
* See  Proclamation No. XVII of the 28th May, 1937.
  2        CAP. 92. ħ                  PUBLIC LIBRARIES 
Copies of or 
extracts from 
manuscripts. 
Amended by: 
XXV. 1962.4; 
L.N. 4 of 1963: 
XXXI.1966.2. 
Substituted by: 
XLI. 1966.4. 
Amended by: 
XLIX. 1981.6.
5. (1) All applications for copies of or extracts from
manuscripts in any library to which this Ordinance applies shall be
made to the Librarian, who is hereby authorised to issue, attest and
authenticate all copies of and extracts from such manuscripts.
(2) The Librarian shall levy such fees as the Minister may by
notice prescribe.
Copies of works to 
be supplied to 
libraries. 
Amended by: 
XVII.1955.2; 
XLI.1966.5; 
XXII. 1976.4.
6. (1) The author of every work printed and published in
Malta shall within three months from the publication thereof
deliver free of charge a copy of such work to the National Library
of Malta and another copy to the Gozo Public Library.
(2) Each such copy shall comprise the whole work with all
maps and illustrations belonging thereto, finished and coloured in
the same manner as the best copies of the work are published, and
shall be upon the best paper on which such work is printed or
litographed.
(3) When the copies of a work are forwarded by post they shall
be free from any charge for postage.
(4) In the case of an anonymous work the obligations under this
section shall devolve on the printer.
(5) During the first fifteen days of January, April, July and
October respectively of every year, every printer shall send to the
National Library of Malta and Gozo Public Library a return
showing the author and title of every work published by that printer
during the immediately preceding three complete months or, as the
case may be, a nil return in respect of that period.
Power to make 
regulations. 
Amended by: 
XXV.1962.4;
L.N. 4 of 1963; 
XXXI.1966.2. 
Substituted by: 
XLI.1966.6.
7. The Minister may make regulations for the admission of
the public to and for the safety and use of any library to which this
Ordinance applies.
Penalties.  
Amended by: 
XIII.1983.5
8. (1) Any person who fails to comply with any of the
regulations made under this Ordinance shall be liable to a fine not
exceeding five liri independently of any liability for any injury
caused in using the library.
(2) Any person who fails to comply with any of the provisions
of section 6, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five liri and the
value of the work.
Right of preference 
exercisable by the 
Government. 
Added by: 
XLI. 1966.7. 
Amended by: 
XIII.1983.5.
9. (1) In case of sale of any printed work, map, print,
manuscript or other document existing in Malta at any time
between the twenty-second day of July, 1966 and the date of the
sale and which, in the opinion of the Minister, has a bibliographical
or historical importance, the Government shall have the right of
acquiring the same, in preference to all other persons, on equal
conditions.
(2) Such right of preference shall be exercised by the Minister
                              PUBLIC LIBRARIES  ġ CAP. 92.   3
by means of a judicial act served on the purchaser within two
months from the date on which the vendor or the purchaser gives
notice to the Minister, by means of a judicial act or a registered
letter, of the sale indicating the name and address of the purchaser
and the conditions of the sale, or, if no such notice is given, within
six months on which it shall come to the knowledge of the Minister
that a sale has been effected.
(3) Any person who is responsible for any act or omission
having the effect of frustrating the exercise of the right of
preference appertaining to the Government under this section shall
be liable to a fine ( multa ) not exceeding two hundred liri or to
imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both such
fine and imprisonment.
