Fifty years of Tanzania’s national/public library service

Abstract

National cum public library services were set up in Tanzania and in a number of other African countries just before or shortly after independence. In addition to being the national public library service, the Tanzania Library Services Board (TLSB) is a legal deposit library and produces the national bibliography. Starting from virtually nothing, TLSB was operating purpose-built libraries in the main urban centres by the mid-1970s. It received much support from the Tanzanian government and from foreign donors up until then, but afterwards the financial situation became more difficult. However, 50 years after its introduction, TLSB operates 21 regional, 18 district, and one divisional library. It has approximately 400 staff. Like other national public library services in Africa, the main challenge has been to extend service to the rural areas where the majority of the population live. A newer challenge is to adapt a traditional service to the environment of young Tanzanians growing up with the mobile phone and the internet.