La Bibliothèque nationale du Québec

Created in 1967, the Bibliotheque nationale du Quebec exists to collect, conserve and disseminate the published documentary output of the province, foreign documents about Quebec and works written by authors from Quebec. All forms of document - including maps, music, posters, art reproductions, software and microforms - are collected, by legal deposit, purchase or exchange. As well as the national bibliography, the BnQ publishes a wide range of bibliographic lists and indexes, and various works on the conservation of collections. It allocates ISBNs to Canadian francophone authors, participates in the Canadian CIP programme, and maintains numerous links with other national libraries and international francophone libraries. Recent developments include an integrated bibliographic computer system based on the UTLAS server in Toronto and the software suite Best Seller; the creation of a Web site for promoting and allowing access to its services; and the expansion of the library's physical resources through major building and refurbishment work, allowing significant increases in both conservation and dissemination activities.