Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) has a mandate under the 2002 Statistics Act, Part iii 10 (d) …………. “to maintain libraries or archives of statistical publications and make them accessible to the public”. In line with this authorisation, several structures are set up in order to deliver the services required by government and development partners. As a research institution, Stats SL provides credible, timely and up-to-date statistical information needed by government and its partners for the formulation of policies in many facets of the country’s development.
The institution has also within the framework of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) expanded activities that will increase the effectiveness and efficiency in provision of relevant data for the monitoring of the development agenda of government and the MDG/SDG benchmarks. Stat SL’s library in consequence purposefully serves both national and international users by offering fundamental research services to staff and other patrons.
Currently, apart from our traditional mode of librarianship, plans are underway for developing a framework of creating and managing a digital content library/resource centre to a large extent through which wider users could be reached.
The Resource Centre operates under the Communications and Public Relations Division. It is envisioned that the section, when fully equipped, will be a service providing unit that caters for the needs and necessities of all divisions in the institution regarding research and printing facilities. This section is recommended to extended services to other institutions on cost-recovery basis to contribute to raise funds for other activities at Statistics Sierra Leone thus reducing absolute dependency on government subvention.
The Resource Centre is managed by a professional with Masters degrees in Librarianship and Development Management plus a Librarian and two Printing Officers.