ISSN Mauritius
Member since 2003
The National Library of Mauritius was established by the Government under the National Library Act, 1996 (Act No. 32) as a body corporate, under the aegis of the Ministry of Arts and Culture. The National Library was opened to the public in December 1999.
The main role of the National Library of Mauritius is to build the most comprehensive collection of our national heritage and making same available to the Mauritian public for consultation. The National Library has a mandate to preserve for posterity all literary output of Mauritius. It has a collection of over 750, 000 documents ranging from books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, photographs and audiovisual materials.
The Vision of the National Library is to be a World-class information Centre using the latest technologies to best serve the Mauritian nation and people at large.
The library also serves as a vibrant hub of intellectual and cultural activity. It regularly hosts workshops, organizes book fairs, exhibitions, book launches of local authors and seminars. It also publishes Annual reports and National Bibliography of Mauritius.
The National Library is a corporate member of the International Federal of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) based in Hague, Netherlands.
The National Library has obtained several awards during its existence:
1. Excellent Customer Service Award in the Public Service 2004
2. MS ISO 9001 2000 Certification by the Mauritius Standard Bureau in 2005,
3. National ICT Award in 2005
4. MS ISO 9001: 2008 Quality Management System Certification in 2010
5. MS ISO 9001: 2018 Quality Management System Certification in 2018
6. National Productivity and Quality Excellence Award 2023 and 2024
The National Library of Mauritius joined the ISSN International Centre in March 2003 and thus became the National Centre.
Since then, the regional centre has allocated 614 ISSN till December 2024. We encourage printers, publishers, private and public institutions to apply for ISSN for their publications.
The ISSN Team composed of the Director, Mrs. Belinda T. K. Ramnauth and a technical staff, Mrs. V. Suggoona are in-charge of the ISSN section at the National Library. It is aimed to market and canvas more private institution to apply for ISSN.
In the year 2026, the National Library is moving in its own purpose-built building.