This site mirrors the IFLA Library Map to maintain access, under CC-BY 4.0, due to poor site reliability. Additional fixes: removed intrusive tracking. Improved mobile device compatibility.

About Namibia

Namibia

Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Area: 824,290 km²

Population: 3,030,131

Libraries (Service Points): 231

Libraries in Namibia

Last update: April 2020

Library and information services management in Namibia is centralized and is funded through the Central Government.

At present, alongside the National Library and the National Archives, there are 65 public libraries, 489 school libraries (not all schools have functional school libraries), 19 academic libraries and 14 ministerial / special libraries.

The Namibia Library and Archives Service (NLAS), a directorate within the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, is a central agency mandated to implement national and international standards relating to library and information work. Its purpose is to secure equal access to knowledge and information for lifelong learning, by creating and maintaining professional expertise and a nationwide network of libraries and information centres. The NLAS is legally established through the Namibia Library and Information Service Act of 2000.

The NLAS is responsible for promoting, establishing, equipping and managing libraries and information services. Its jurisdiction encompasses:

  • All public library services,
  • Educational library services,
  • Ministerial / Special library services,
  • National Library and the National Archives.

Namibian libraries have a commendable interest in driving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacy and training and providing attractive child-oriented library services to boost library usage.

Key among the services provided by libraries are: free internet access, reference services, printing, photocopy and scanning services at a minimal fee, free ICT/computer training, reading/study facilities, children’s library sections, homework support, reading competitions for children, television broadcasting, online databases and inter-library lending.

The Namibia Information Workers Association (NIWA), established in 1990, is the only national library association in the country and is open to all information workers and information institutions in Namibia. NIWA strives to unite all information workers in Namibia and to raise the level of expertise of information workers by offering a wide range of training seminars, workshops and other relevant activities. NIWA also actively advocates for the role and contribution of libraries in the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Library data

Libraries (Service Points) 231
Main Libraries 212
Branch Libraries 0
External Service Points 0
Mobile Libraries 3
Libraries (Administrative Units) 4
Libraries with Internet Access 78
Full-Time Staff 276
Volunteers 8
Registered Users 258,283
Physical Visits 601,030
Physical Loans 358,087
eBook Loans
Audio Book Loans 15,716
Downloads 53,951

Contextual data

Population and Geography
3,030,131

Population

No Data Available

Population Growth

62.3%

Proportion of Population Younger than 15

6.2%

Proportion of Population Older than 64

3.6

Population Density
people per sq km

50.4%

Population Growth

Information and Infrastructure
56.7%

Access to Electricity

64.4%

Internet Users

No Data Available

Female Internet Users

No Data Available

Male Internet Users

Poverty and Employment
11,686.6%

GDP per capita

22.9%

Poverty Rate
2011 PPP

59.1%

Inequality
2011 PPP

19.9%

Unemployment

31.9%

Inactive Youth
2011 PPP

Education and Literacy
9.1%

Education Spending
% of GDP

87.6%

Adult Literacy Rate
% of people age 15+

87.4%

Female Adult Literacy
% of GDP

87.4%

Male Adult Literacy
% of people age 15+

93.5%

Female Youth Literacy
% of GDP

90.8%

Male Youth Literacy
% of people age 15+

Innovation and Skills
0.6%

Research Spending
% of GDP

1

Researchers
% of GDP

220

Research Spending
% of GDP

Library data

Library type

Total

National

Academic

Public

Community

School

Other

Libraries (Service Points)

Library service point is a fixed or mobile facility through which library provides a service to its users. Central libraries, branch libraries, mobile libraries, and external service points located in different geographical locations and managed by one administrative unit are all each individual service points. Number of libraries is the total number of central/main libraries, branch libraries, external service points and mobile libraries.

231

231

2022

1

2022

65

2022

149

2022

16

2022
Main Libraries

Central/main library is usually part or those parts of an administrative unit where the main administrative functions and the important parts of the library collection and services are located. An administrative unit comprising several branch libraries does not necessarily include a central library.

212

212

2022

1

2022

62

2022

149

2022

Branch Libraries

Branch library is a part of a larger administrative unit providing, in separate quarters, a service for a particular user group (e.g. children, faculties) or for a locally defined clientele. Institute, departmental and other affiliated libraries are included. Mobile libraries and external service points are excluded.

0

0

2022

0

2022

0

2022

0

2022

External Service Points

External service point is a point away from library premises at which a certain service is regularly offered to users. This includes places within a locality at which library material is deposited for informal circulation to a restricted group of users but without other library services, for example, old people’s homes, community centres, collections for hospital patients. Mobile libraries and their stops are not counted as external service points.

0

0

2022

0

2022

0

2022

0

2022

Mobile Libraries

Mobile library is a library, sometimes a division of a public library, using transport means to provide documents and services directly to users as an alternative to access on library premises.

3

3

2022

0

2022

3

2022

0

2022

Libraries (Administrative Units)

Administrative unit is any independent library, or group of libraries, under a single directorate or a single administration. The term “independent” does not imply legal or financial independence but only that the library is a recognisably separate unit, typically within a larger organisation. The administrative unit can be a single library or a larger organisation, typically containing a central/main library, branch libraries and administrative functions.

4

4

2022

1

2022

1

2022

1

2022

1

2022
Libraries with Internet Access

Libraries (Service Points) that provides internet access from at least one workstation available to the public regardless of whether access is free, and/or provides a wireless network allowing users to connect to the Internet.

78

78

2022

1

2022

61

2022

16

2022
Full-Time Staff

Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff are all library employees who work for the library in return for payment. It includes professional staff, qualified staff, project staff and assistants. Other staff (library employees who work in security and on domestic duties, for example, cleaners, porters, caretakers and catering staff) and volunteers are excluded.

276

276

2022

22

2022

184

2022

47

2022

23

2022
Volunteers

Volunteer is a person working on library tasks without payment. In counting volunteers, the concept of headcount is used.

8

8

2022

5

2018

3

2022

Registered Users

Registered user is a person or organisation registered with a library in order to use its collection and/or services within or away from the library. Users may be registered upon their request or automatically when enrolling in the institutions.

258,283

258,283

2022

8,733

2022

219,085

2022

30,465

2022

Physical Visits

Physical visit is a person (individual) entering the library premises.

601,030

601,030

2022

16,294

2019

442,461

2022

108,716

2022

33,559

2022
Physical Loans

Physical loan is a direct lending or delivery transaction of an item in physical form. Physical loans include loans of items in non-electronic form (e.g. books) and loans electronic documents on a physical carrier (e.g. CD-ROM).

358,087

358,087

2022

45

2022

244,845

2022

108,716

2022

4,481

2022
eBook Loans

eBook is a non-serial digital document, licenced or not, where searchable text is prevalent, and similar to a print book (monograph). eBooks can be lent to users either on portable devices (eBook readers) or by transmitting the contents to the user’s PC or other device for a limited time period.

N/A

2019

Audio Book Loans

Audio book (or talking book) is a sound recording of readings of a book, magazine, or newspaper, usually designed for use by visually impaired people. Audio books can be lent to users either on a physical carrier or other device, or by transmitting the content to the user’s PC or other device for a limited time period.

15,716

15,716

2019

N/A

2019

15,716

2019
Downloads

Download is a content unit that is successfully requested from a library-provided online service or other internet service (e.g. database, electronic serial or digital document).

53,951

53,951

2019

N/A

2019

53,951

2018

Population

Namibia

Region

World

Population

Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.

total

3,030,131

2024

1,291,044,964

2024

8,141,808,945

2024

Proportion of Population Younger than 15

Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.

percentage of working-age population

62.3%

2024

72.5%

2024

38.0%

2024

Proportion of Population Older than 64

Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.

precentage of working-age population

6.2%

2024

5.7%

2024

15.7%

2024

Population Growth

Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

annual percentage

2.2%

2024

2

2024

1.0%

2024

Population Density

Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.

people persq. km of land area

3.6%

2023

51.5%

2022

61.6%

2022

Urban Population

Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.

percentage of total population

50.4%

2024

44.1%

2024

57.6%

2024

Information Infrastructure

Namibia

Region

World

Internet Users

Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.

percentage of population

64.4%

2023

33.6%

2024

71.2%

2024

Female Internet Users

This indicator refers to female individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.

percentage of female population

-

29.4%

2024

68.2%

2024

Male Internet Users

This indicator refers to male individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.

percentage of male population

-

29.4%

-

Access to Electricity

Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity. Electrification data are collected from industry, national surveys and international sources.

percentage of population

56.7%

2023

53.3%

2023

91.6%

2023

Economy, Poverty, and Employment

Namibia

Region

World

GDP per Capita

This indicator provides values for gross domestic product (GDP) expressed in current international dollars, converted by purchasing power parities (PPPs). PPPs account for the different price levels across countries and thus PPP-based comparisons of economic output are more appropriate for comparing the output of economies and the average material well-being of their inhabitants than exchange-rate based comparisons. Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. This series has been linked to produce a consistent time series to counteract breaks in series over time due to changes in base years, source data and methodologies. Thus, it may not be comparable with other national accounts series in the database for historical years. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. The PPP conversion factor is a currency conversion factor and a spatial price deflator. PPPs convert different currencies to a common currency and, in the process of conversion, equalize their purchasing power by eliminating the differences in price levels between countries, thereby allowing volume or output comparisons of GDP and its expenditure components.

current international $

11,687

2024

5,517.4

2024

24,405

2024

Poverty Rate

Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.00 a day at 2021 purchasing power adjusted prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

percentage of population

22.9%

2015

46.0%

2024

10.3%

2024

Inequality

Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.

percentage

59.1%

2015

0.0%

-

Unemployment

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.

percentage of total labor force

19.9%

2018

0.0%

6.2%

2021

Inactive Youth

The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive).


percentage of youth population

31.9%

2018

0.0%

-

Education and Literacy

Namibia

Region

World

Education Spending

General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.


percentage of GDP

9.1%

2024

3.3%

2023

3.5%

2023

Adult Literacy Rate

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of people ages 15 and above

87.6%

2023

3.3%

2023

87.7%

2024

Female Adult Literacy

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of females ages 15 and above

87.4%

2023

62.7%

2024

84.6%

2024

Male Adult Literacy

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of males ages 15 and above

87.4%

2023

74.9%

2024

90.9%

2024

Female Youth Literacy

Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of females ages 15-24

93.5%

2023

76.6%

2024

92.0%

2024

Male Youth Literacy

Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of males ages 15-24

90.8%

2023

81.3%

2024

94.1%

2024

Research and Innovation

Namibia

Region

World

Research Spending

Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.


percentage of GDP

0.6%

2022

-

2.7%

2022

Researchers

The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.


per million people

225

2022

-

1,516

2018

Scientific Articles

Article counts refer to publications from a selection of conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journals from Scopus in science and engineering fields, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Taxonomy of Disciplines.


fractional count

220

2022

-

3,338,192

2022

National Library Associations

Namibia Information Workers Association (NIWA)

NIWA was formed in 1990 and strives to promote information services throughout Namibia. NIWA is open to all information workers and information institutions in Namibia. NIWA’s objectives are:

  • to unite all information workers in Namibia in an autonomous and representative body;
  • to make and maintain contact with relevant international and national organizations;
  • to raise the level of expertise of information workers by offering training seminars, workshop and other relevant activities;
  • to advise academic institutions involved in training information workers in curriculum development.

Currently, NIWA have about 390 registered (paid up) members and 16 institutions as paid up members

National Library of Namibia (NLN)

The National Library of Namibia is the legal deposit and copyright library for Namibia. The National Library acts as the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) Agency for Namibia. This entails allocating ISBN/ISSN free of charge to books/serials published in Namibia.

Namibia Library Information Council (NLIC)

The main objective of the Council is to promote the development and use of Library, Archives and information resources in Namibia for the benefit of the people of Namibia. The composition of the Council allows for representation by professional and interest groups on both local and regional to advise the Minister on the most effective means of ensuring access to information and knowledge in support of quality education, training and development, self-empowerment and lifelong learning.
The Council members are being appointed by the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture as mandated by the Namibia Library and Information Services Act, Act No. 4 of 2000.

There are no library support organisations in Namibia.

National Policy for Libraries

Information for Self-Reliance and Development: A Policy Framework for Libraries and Allied Information Agencies for Namibia

The policy was prepared by a Legislation Committee appointed by the Minister of Basic Education and Culture and approved by Cabinet on 2 September 1997. The policy covers:

  • strengthening the policy and legal framework for knowledge and lifelong learning;
  • improving the quality and effectiveness of knowledge management systems;
  • improving and strengthening equitable access to information and learning resources to ensure economic and social empowerment for communities and individuals;
  • establishing public ICT access through the nationwide library network and
  • improving access to and usage of both national and globally-sourced information through digital libraries and knowledge management systems.
Namibia Library and Information Service Act, 2000

The aim of the law, issued in 2000, is to provide for the establishment of the Namibia Library and Information Service, the National Library and the Namibia Library Information Council. To provide for the implementation of legal deposit and for incidental matters. To provide information and training to or conduct research on behalf of that library. Monitor adherence to the conditions of affiliation by that library.

Professional Qualification Requirements

Professional Qualification Requirements

To become a professional Librarian, one needs a BA Degree in Library and Information Studies NQF L7 for the entry Librarian position and for Assistant Librarian, it requires a Diploma in Library Science. The qualification requirements are set for all library types in the Government structure.

Education

The Department of Information and Communication Studies at the University of Namibia is producing the Librarians and Archivists with the BA Honours Degree in Library and Information Studies and a Higher Diploma in Library and Information Studies.

There is no information available.

Readathon program

Readathon is a reading activity being organized by Education Library Service within the Directorate of Namibia Library and Archives Service. The main goal of the event is to instil the culture of reading in children while they are young. The main target of the event are learners in Primary and Secondary levels. The main event is being celebrated nationally on the last Friday of September every year.

Library Location Resources

No information available

Contributors

  • Namibia Library and Archives Service