Public library
Public libraries are in the library system commonly referred to as publicly accessible libraries with a selection of stocks meant and services for the general population and from the most also publicly available research libraries distinguished. In Germany, according to Article 5 (1) of the Basic Law , public libraries serve to provide general education and information and as a cultural institution for the leisure activities of all citizens.
Public libraries in Germany
There are public libraries of various sizes. As a rule, they are maintained by districts , cities or municipalities. However, they are free to set up and maintain a library, so that a uniform supply of literature is not guaranteed. There is not a library law in every federal state in Germany . In contrast, the establishment of archives accessible to the public is regulated by archive laws.
In larger cities there are usually tiered systems with central and district libraries and in the out-of-town area there are district and mobile libraries as well as smaller facilities. The work of the public libraries in the various countries is supported by individual partnerships and by government agencies for public libraries (see Library Associations ).
In addition to the municipal libraries, there are other public libraries. The Protestant and Catholic Churches maintain a large number of Protestant (EÖB) and Catholic public libraries (KÖB) (supported by the Borromäusverein ), some of which are funded by the federal states and municipalities, especially in rural areas and in city districts . The management and collaboration is mainly carried out by volunteers. Most regional churches and dioceses maintain ecclesiastical departments ( library departments ) which, like the departments for public libraries , offer training, support and services for their libraries. The German Association of Evangelical Libraries eV (DVEB) and the Borromäusverein in Bonn and the Sankt Michaelsbund (SMB) in Munich offer supraregional services . In the " Archiv³ " network, 11 different special libraries and archives from the field of development policy work together nationwide and make their holdings publicly available.
Libraries that are only accessible to a limited public (works libraries, patient libraries, prison libraries) but which do not specifically serve research are also grouped under “public libraries”.
The image of public libraries has changed dramatically under the influence of social and media developments; As a low-threshold educational institution for all social classes and for all age groups, they are the most visited institution in a municipality. They do integration work for immigrants, work for other institutions and reinforcers, increasingly also for secondary and secondary schools. They also work with media education offers that are up-to-date - Internet, CD, CD-ROM , DVD , video, etc. They provide business information for small and medium-sized companies and see themselves as service providers for local politics . Most of the job characteristics for professions in the library sector were formulated in the Federal Employees' Collective Agreement (BAT) in the 1950s and in no way correspond to the current job profile.
Since no library law has been formulated in Germany, but rather the public libraries are among the “voluntary” services, they are particularly available in times of economic tension.
Types of public libraries
- City libraries
- Church libraries ( community libraries )
- School libraries and school media libraries
- Music libraries
- Children's and youth libraries
- Mobile libraries
- Patient or hospital libraries
- Prisoner or prison libraries
- Work libraries
- Libraries for the blind
- Troop libraries
- Art libraries
- Hotel libraries or spa libraries
Public libraries in other countries
Great Britain
The library of the London Guildhall allowed access for members of the public as early as 1425 . Several municipal libraries were then set up in the 17th century. Of these, Chetham's Library, founded in Manchester in 1653, claims to be the oldest public library in the English-speaking world (controversial on this, see WJ Sidis, see below).
United States
In the United States , where the state pays relatively few benefits for citizens in many areas - such as unemployment, health insurance, or tertiary education - public libraries are among the most advanced public service providers. In his unconventional history book The Tribes and the States (ca.1935), William James Sidis claims the invention of the public library for the USA, referring to the Boston City Library, which opened in 1636 . The first public library for children opened in Arlington, Massachusetts in 1835 . One of the most important public libraries in the country is the New York Public Library in New York City , which opened in 1849 . The first American library with open shelves was the Williams Free Library in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, opened in 1884 .
Other types of libraries that are particularly prevalent in the US in addition to public libraries are school libraries , university libraries , private libraries , corporate libraries and the libraries of historical societies ( Historical Societies ).
Individual evidence
- ^ The Literary Companion by Emma Jones, Robson books, page 115
- ↑ Anon: Welcome to Chetham's Library . In: Chetham's Library Home page . Retrieved November 18, 2009.
- ↑ The Tribes and the States, Penacook . Sidis.net. Retrieved March 27, 2011.