To be selected as an IMF Depository Library, a library must meet the following criteria:

Facility: Maintain a public reading room and adequate shelf space for 300 new publications a year.

Staff: Designate at least one librarian to be responsible for implementing the library's contractual agreement with the International Monetary Fund and to be in charge of managing this growing collection.

Systems: Demonstrate the ability to place and maintain IMF publications under bibliographic control.

Accessibility: Offer public access to these materials during normal business hours and make the library and materials accessible without charge.

Library Users: Serve users who are interested in all or most of the subjects covered by the Fund's publications. In general, libraries attached to institutes devoted to a specific subdiscipline of development do not become Depository Libraries.

Outreach activity: Circulate a list of recent acquisitions on a regular basis.

Implementation: Each Depository Library signs a formal agreement, agreeing to maintain the above standards and submit an annual report of its activities.