By Upali Amarasiri The National Library occupies a unique position in the cultural and intellectual life of Sri Lanka. It is the institution entrusted with preserving the nation’s published heritage and ensuring that future generations have access to the documentary record of the country. The events surrounding the National Library building projects during the last [...]
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The National Library occupies a unique position in the cultural and intellectual life of Sri Lanka. It is the institution entrusted with preserving the nation’s published heritage and ensuring that future generations have access to the documentary record of the country. The events surrounding the National Library building projects during the last decade, therefore, deserve careful examination, not merely as a construction or administrative issue, but as a matter affecting the preservation of Sri Lanka’s documentary heritage.
A national library is far more than a repository of books. It serves as the permanent custodian of a nation’s intellectual and cultural memory. Through legal deposit and related functions, Sri Lanka’s National Library acquires and preserves books, newspapers, journals, government publications, manuscripts, maps, and other materials of enduring value. This includes the relevant audio-visual and digital materials. Many of these materials are unique and irreplaceable. The institution is on par with the National Archives, National Museum, National Arts Gallery and other similar heritage institutions.
The National Library also supports education, scholarship, public administration, and cultural development. Its preservation responsibilities, therefore, extend beyond the interests of any single institution. Damage to its collections represents a loss to the nation itself.
The National Library in Colombo: Questions over damage to the facility
The establishment of Sri Lanka’s National Library received important support from UNESCO. In 1967, UNESCO conducted a regional seminar on national libraries in Colombo, helping to shape thinking on the establishment of a national library system. UNESCO subsequently provided expert assistance through Evelyn Evens in drafting the legislative framework that led to the establishment of the Ceylon National Library Services Board (CNLSB) in 1970.
During the planning stages of the library building, UNESCO also provided professional architectural expertise through Prof. Michael Brawne to assist in designing a facility capable of supporting the preservation of the nation’s documentary heritage.
These contributions reflected international recognition of the importance of creating a modern national library in Sri Lanka and underscored the obligation to protect it. After inaugurating the National Library in 1990, Parliament enacted the new National Library and Documentation Services Board (NLDSB) Act No. 51 of 1998, providing powers and responsibilities to the National Library and Documentation Centre to perform as a fully fledged national library. By 2018, the collection of the library rose to 1.3 million items, which required new accommodation.
Before the major building project began, the NLDSB undertook a climate control project designed to provide better environmental conditions for the preservation of library materials. Such systems are essential in tropical climates where fluctuations in temperature and humidity can accelerate deterioration.
The larger building project that followed was handled through a special arrangement under the Ministry of Education rather than directly through the NLDSB. This development altered the governance structure of the project. Although the NLDSB remained responsible for the collections and operation of the library, a significant project decision was made to entrust the Rs. 500 million building development project to a special unit of the Ministry of Education. The special unit called ‘Nearest School-Best School’ (NSBS), which handled many building projects of the education sector.
Questions also arose concerning the interpretation of a Budget Department letter dated 13 January 2017. The letter stated that budget proposals had been assigned to the Ministry of Education for implementation. This was interpreted as requiring direct implementation through the Ministry. Whether that interpretation was necessary or whether the project could have been implemented through the NLDSB remains an important question because the interpretation had far-reaching consequences for project governance.
A particularly significant issue concerns the decision not to proceed with a proposed new building before undertaking major work on the existing structure. The approach favoured by many within the National Library community was to provide additional accommodation first and then carry out refurbishment. Such a strategy would have enabled the safe relocation of collections and services during construction.
Instead, priority was given to renovating the existing building while collections remained on site. The reasons for abandoning the new building option have never been fully explained in the public domain. Equally unclear is why a more limited programme of refurbishment that was already envisaged by the NLDSB was not pursued by the NSBS unit.
The decision to retain collections within a building undergoing major construction created major preservation risks. International practice favours relocating valuable collections or implementing extensive protective measures during major renovation works.
As renovation activities progressed, library materials were exposed to dust, vibration, environmental fluctuations, theft and other hazards associated with construction.
Reports and committee observations raised concerns regarding whether the new climate control system achieved the specifications required under the contract, including cooling capacity, remote monitoring capability, environmental coverage, and the maintenance of required temperature and relative humidity levels. Operational problems reportedly included leakage from air-conditioning pipelines affecting collection areas, inadequate coverage of parts of the collection, and environmental conditions that did not consistently meet preservation requirements.
The situation worsened when the contractor reportedly suspended work and ultimately left the project incomplete. A project intended to cause temporary disruption became a prolonged period of uncertainty.
The subsequent COVID-19 pandemic and the national crisis associated with the 2022 youth-led uprising further extended delays. Collections remained in conditions that did not provide the level of environmental control, security, and preservation monitoring expected in a national library. The prolonged closure also reduced opportunities for routine inspection and intervention.
Concerns regarding the condition of the collections were not based on speculation. They were documented through several official mechanisms. The National Library Advisory Committee and the Conservation and Preservation Advisory Committee recorded concerns regarding the condition of the collections and the risks arising from the renovation process.
These concerns were further examined by an investigation committee appointed by the NL Advisory Committee, which reported in December 2022. The National Library Committee also communicated its observations to the Chairman of the NLDSB in December 2022. The seriousness of the matter was subsequently reinforced by a technical committee appointed by the Ministry of Education on the instructions of the Parliamentary Ombudsman. Its report, submitted in May 2024, provided additional observations regarding the poor condition of the collections and the management of the project.
Library materials deteriorate when exposed to unsuitable temperature, humidity, water, dust, insects, and environmental fluctuations. High temperatures accelerate chemical decay, excessive humidity encourages mould growth and infestation, and water leaks can permanently damage paper and bindings. Construction dust and vibration create additional preservation risks. Because many National Library holdings are unique and irreplaceable, environmental control is a fundamental preservation requirement.
A major concern is that the National Library Advisory Committee and the Conservation and Preservation Advisory Committee were reportedly not adequately consulted during the preparation of renovation proposals. These bodies existed specifically to provide professional guidance on preservation, collections, and long-term institutional development. Their limited involvement raises important questions regarding governance and project planning.
Taken together, these documents provide a substantial documentary record showing that concerns regarding deterioration, preservation failures, and management shortcomings were repeatedly brought to the attention of responsible authorities.
During the same period, the University of Peradeniya adopted a phased approach by constructing an additional building before undertaking necessary refurbishment of its historic library building. This enabled collections and services to be relocated and protected while refurbishment proceeded.
The events surrounding the project raise broader questions concerning governance. The NLDSB is the statutory body entrusted with administering the National Library and safeguarding its collections. This responsibility includes identifying risks and ensuring that appropriate preservation measures are in place.
Even when implementation responsibilities were exercised through the Ministry of Education, the Board retained a duty to scrutinise project proposals, seek professional advice, and ensure that collection protection remained central to decision-making. Questions therefore arise regarding whether adequate risk assessments were prepared, whether professional concerns were fully considered, and whether alternatives received sufficient attention.
Another noteworthy development was the removal of Dr W. A. Abeysinghe from the chairmanship of the NLDSB in March 2018. The timing of this decision coincided with important developments relating to the renovation project and the climate control system.
The climate control system had not yet undergone final performance testing when renovation activities began. Demolition and alteration work affected the conditions necessary for final testing. Questions also arose regarding project sequencing and final payments of Rs 75 million. Without access to all relevant records it would be inappropriate to speculate on motives, but the chronology highlights issues that deserve further examination.
The role of professional bodies is particularly important in matters affecting documentary heritage. The Sri Lanka Library Association exists to advance professional standards and support the development of library services. International principles promoted by professional organisations such as IFLA similarly emphasise the importance of advocacy, preservation, and professional leadership.
Against this backdrop, questions arise regarding whether professional concerns associated with the National Library project received sufficient attention from the SLLA, as the president of the forum sits on the Board of Management of the NLDSB. Requests were reportedly made over several years for professional discussions and seminars on the issues affecting the National Library. Yet no major sustained professional forum appears to have emerged despite the seriousness of the concerns.
At one stage, the association appointed an inquiry panel to examine issues relating to the National Library projects. However, the initiative was later discontinued. The absence of sustained professional engagement is significant because professional associations play an important role in providing independent advice and facilitating informed debate on matters affecting the profession and the institutions it serves.
The findings of official committees naturally raised questions regarding accountability. In many public sector projects, significant controversies are followed by comprehensive investigations intended to identify shortcomings, establish facts, and recommend corrective measures.
Despite the seriousness of the concerns surrounding the National Library projects, a comprehensive inquiry examining the full sequence of decisions and consequences has not emerged. As a result, important questions remain unanswered regarding project planning, governance arrangements, preservation safeguards, and institutional responsibility.
In 2024, the National Library Friends Forum elected a new committee and resolved to seek the appointment of an independent committee of investigation into the National Library projects and their consequences. However, the requested investigation did not materialise. The initiative did not proceed further, leaving unresolved many of the issues that concerned members of the library community. Later the forum was dissolved, citing wrong reasons.
The National Library experience offers important lessons. First, collection protection must remain the primary consideration in any project affecting a heritage institution. Construction projects should be designed around preservation requirements rather than expecting collections to adapt to construction constraints.
Second, governance arrangements must ensure that professional expertise is fully integrated into decision-making. Institutions entrusted with documentary heritage require strong and independent oversight capable of questioning decisions that may create unnecessary risks.
Third, transparency and accountability are essential. When concerns are raised by advisory committees, technical experts, or professional bodies, those concerns should be addressed openly and systematically.
The story of the National Library renovation project is not merely a story about a building. It is a story about stewardship, governance, professional responsibility, and the protection of Sri Lanka’s documentary heritage.
The documentary evidence reviewed through committee reports, advisory committee observations, and technical assessments suggests that nationally significant collections were exposed to avoidable risks through a combination of project decisions, prolonged delays, and inadequate preservation safeguards. Many of the key decisions that shaped the project remain insufficiently explained, and important questions regarding accountability remain unanswered.
The purpose of revisiting these events is not to assign blame for its own sake. Rather, it is to ensure that lessons are learned and that similar mistakes are not repeated. National libraries preserve the collective memory of a nation. Damage to such collections can rarely be reversed, and in many cases the loss is permanent.
Sri Lanka’s National Library was established with a vision extending far beyond the needs of any one generation. Supported by national commitment and international assistance, it was created to preserve the country’s documentary heritage for centuries to come. That responsibility remains unchanged today.
What is now required is a comprehensive and transparent review of the events surrounding the National Library projects, implementation of outstanding preservation recommendations, and a renewed commitment to professional standards, institutional accountability, and the long-term protection of the nation’s documentary heritage. Only then can confidence be restored that the lessons of this episode have been fully understood and that Sri Lanka’s documentary memory will be safeguarded for future generations.
The question before us is not whether the National Library suffered damage. The question is whether we have the courage to understand how it happened, learn from it, and ensure that it never happens again.
(The writer served as the Director General of NLDSB from 1989 to 2008, Chairman of the NL Advisory Committee from 2010 to 2018 and President of the Sri Lanka Library Association from 2009 to 2012).
Print Edition – The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka
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