preservation of a national collection for the current and future reference, study and research 
requirements of present and future generation; 
"Libraries" means the libraries falling under the responsibility of the Malta Libraries and include 
the National Library, the Central Public Library, the Gozo Public Library, and the Regional and 
Branch public libraries; 
"Malta Libraries" means the entity called Malta Libraries established under article 4; 
"Malta National Bibliography" means the list, irrespective of form or medium together with a 
detailed bibliographical description, of each new publication received in a given year by way of 
legal deposit and to be compiled under article 7; 
"medium" is any means of storing information or communication; 
"the Minister" means the Minister responsible for the Malta Libraries and its libraries; 
"National Librarian" means the head of the Malta Libraries appointed under article 5; 
"National Library" means the National Library of Malta; 
"the Permanent Secretary" means the person appointed to supervise the Malta Libraries in terms 
of the Public Administration Act; 
"prescribed" means prescribed by regulations or orders made under this Act; 
"the Principal Permanent Secretary" means the person appointed in terms of article 14 of the 
Public Administration Act; 
"printer" means the person who prints, reproduces, or otherwise makes multiple copies of any 
publication, regardless of form or medium; 
"Public Libraries" means the Central Public Library, the Gozo Public Library and the Regional 
and Branch Public Libraries; 
"publication" means any published document, record, or work, regardless of form or medium, 
including printed, audio-visual, microform, electronic hand-held or online documents, records 
or Work, made available to the public whether freely, on loan, or for sale; 
"public officer" has the same meaning assigned to it by article 124 of the Constitution; 
"publisher" means any person or body corporate responsible for making available to the public 
any publication, regardless of form or medium, irrespective of whether such person is the 
author, printer, producer or other person or body making finished copies of such publication; 
"record" includes any book, manuscript, parchment paper, photograph, or any form, schedule, 
questionnaire, or other such document, or any recorded or stored information, regardless of form 
or medium; 
"Regional and, or Local Council" means a regional and, or local council established under the 
Local Councils Act, 
"work" includes every literary, scientific or artistic book, part or division thereof, pamphlet, 
monograph, newspaper, periodical, sheet of music, map, plan, chart or table separately 
published, regardless of form or medium, but does not include any second or subsequent edition 
of a work unless such edition contains additions or alterations in the maps, prints or other 
engravings belonging thereto. 
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