Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Library Brunei Darussalam

History and Founding

The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) — Brunei's Language and Literature Bureau — was established on 18 April 1960 following a motion in the State Legislative Council to create an independent body to consolidate the status of Malay as the official language of Brunei. It was initially called the Language and Literature Section under the Department of Education, renamed Bahagian Bahasa dan Pustaka in 1962, and became a separate department on 1 January 1965. In 1984 it was placed under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. The first DBP Library was established in 1963, temporarily housed in the Department of Education. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III laid the foundation stone of the new library building on 29 September 1965, and the building was formally inaugurated on 29 September 1968. The library serves as the primary public library network and the legal deposit and copyright library for Brunei.

Collections and Holdings

The DBP Library network maintains a collection of over 810,000 physical books and 46,431 digitised volumes as of 2023, across nine branches. Holdings are organised into five primary sections: Reference Library, Adult Library, Young People's Library, Children's Library, and Mobile Library. The Reference Library features dedicated Bruneiana subcollections covering publications about or produced in Brunei, Southeast Asia/ASEAN materials, general reference works, and multimedia resources. The library also holds over 200 publications and journals, and maintains a gallery, exhibition hall, theatre, and meeting spaces.

Notable Materials

The Bruneiana collection is of particular importance, preserving historical documents, manuscripts, and artefacts reflecting Brunei's cultural narrative. The library operates Mobile Library Services using five bookmobile vans serving schools, prisons, institutions for people with disabilities, and remote communities.

Access and Usage

Membership and all services are free of charge to Brunei residents. The library network operates nine branches across the country. The DBP Library functions as the legal deposit library and holds copyright registration responsibilities for Brunei.