The law on libraries was adopted by the votes of 77 MPs in the final reading. The major goal of the new law is to strengthen the role of libraries in society as a public service. The bill was drafted by the Ministry of Culture following the monitoring of the implementation of the law on libraries of 1994 and taking into account the experience in the field of Norway, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and Romania, IPN reports.

The law includes a new approach to the services provided by libraries. Compared with the current law, the new law introduces a new concept, of basic library services, which will be provided to library users free of charge.

The professional and continuous formation of personnel of libraries is a new element. The law provides that the libraries are obliged to ensure physical access and to organize special services for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities and to also budget funds for purchasing documents in the languages of the national minorities of the community served by the library.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the annual average budget of a public liberty is of 60,000-70,000 lei, including for salaries. Given that the bill will take effect in 18 months of its publication, the central and local public authorities will have time to approve budgets in accordance with all the legal procedures.