The Dag Hammarskjöld Library was dedicated on 16 November 1961 in honour of the late Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld. The Library Building, a gift from the Ford Foundation adjoins the Secretariat at the south-west corner of the headquarters site.

The Library's legislative mandate was established by the General Assembly in document A/C.5/298 of 28 September 1949. The Library's primary function is to enable the delegations, the Secretariat and other official groups of the Organization to obtain, with the greatest possible speed, convenience and economy, the library materials and information needed in the execution of their duties. The purpose is to provide library services, including maintenance of an archival collection of United Nations documents and publications and in-house production and processing of data, for use by delegates, missions and United Nations staff members, as well as by specialized researchers, while enabling all libraries of the United Nations system to function as a user-oriented network. Furthermore, the Library is to establish depository libraries worldwide for dissemination of United Nations information.

Mandate Renewal

The Steering Committee for the Modernization and Integrated Management of United Nations Libraries, established in January 2003, is mandated to "discuss and agree upon policies to facilitate the complex transition from self-sufficiency to interdependency and foster initiatives to create a dynamic, synergistic and fully functional library network" [A/AC.198/2003/5]. In this regard, a report submitted to the Committee on Information at its twenty-seventh session presents new strategic directions for United Nations libraries.

The executive summary of this report states:

• UN Libraries are renewing the mandate given them by the General Assembly to ensure that their activities and services are fully supporting the Organization's current goals and objectives. Technology and organizational change provide opportunities for UN Libraries to move from independent repositories to a new role as a network of knowledge-sharing communities: from collections to connections.



• UN Libraries are redeveloping their products and services, physical spaces, staff skills and working relationships with their colleagues within the Organization to offer timely and relevant support to their growing constituencies.



• UN Libraries are re-deploying and renewing the skill sets of their staff to meet the needs of a challenging new work environment. The libraries will be in the forefront of the use of information technology to meet the increasing demand for reliable information resources that support global problem-solving.



• UN Libraries are using innovative approaches, tools and skills to promote the relevance and value of the rich sources they steward. UN librarians are becoming networking facilitators, essential team members in the United Nations community of knowledge workers.