Duisburg City Library

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Duisburg City Library
City library Duisburg, central exterior view.jpg

Duisburg city window with headquarters of the city library and the adult education center

founding October 1, 1901
Duration 626,000 (including e-media)
Library type library
place Duisburg coordinates: 51 ° 26 ′ 1.1 ″  N , 6 ° 45 ′ 41.5 ″  EWorld icon
ISIL DE-136
operator City of Duisburg
management Jan-Pieter Barbian
Website stadtbibliothek-duisburg.de

The Duisburg City Library is a public library , by the city of Duisburg as the bearer of the device administers is. It was founded on October 1st, 1901 under the name “Duisburger Bücher- und Lesehalle” and, with its current range of more than 580,000 media including all branches (as of 2018), makes a significant contribution to improving education and cultural life in the city Duisburg.

In addition to books, newspapers, magazines, sheet music, CDs and DVDs or Blu-rays, customers have access to numerous online offers that can usually be used around the clock from outside the library. More than 46,000 e-books and other e-media can be found in the online library and in the international newspaper and magazine portal PressReader . The Munzinger Archive and Brockhaus Knowledge Service offer extensive reference works . With Rosetta Stone's offer, you have the opportunity to learn 30 languages ​​online, while the specialist databases Beck-Online and LexisNexis cover the area of ​​legal and business-related issues. The library's own media catalog ( OPAC ) and the digital library research portal (DigiBib), which also offers an online information service, enable literature research .

The city library sees one of its main tasks in promoting reading and media skills among children and young people, which is why all children up to the age of 12 receive a free library card to use the media in the children's library. The International Children's and Young People's Book Exhibition (IKiBu), which has been taking place since 1971 , attracts national attention every year.

The headquarters of the Duisburg City Library is located together with the Adult Education Center (VHS) in the Duisburg city window, which was newly opened in 2015 .

history

Beginnings until 1933

After the President of the Düsseldorf government, Hans Dietrich von Holleuffer, approached Duisburg's Lord Mayor Karl Lehr a year earlier with the request “to work towards the establishment of a communal public library, if possible”, the meeting of the city council on July 23, 1901, became the political Decision made to build a book and reading hall. The official establishment took place on October 1st, 1901.

The book and reading hall was housed in the Rorei'schen Haus at Burgplatz 12, which the city had acquired, in the immediate vicinity of the town hall. The initial inventory comprised around 1,000 books, with the library commission planning to expand to 3,000 volumes. Due to the unexpectedly great response to the new facility from the citizens of Duisburg, the library had to be relocated to a former administration building at Oberstrasse 4 just one year after it opened. In addition, Heinrich Grosch (1852 – after 1912), Rector of the municipal elementary school, worked as a part-time “bookkeeper” for the city library.

With the incorporation of Meiderich and Ruhrort in 1905, the independent local libraries were also merged. From 1908 there was also an internal loan system and the population of Duisburg had access to a new total of around 9,600 books (4,600 in Duisburg, 3,000 in Meiderich, 2000 in Ruhrort). By the beginning of the First World War in 1914, the holdings of the central library had grown to around 7,300 books, 55 magazines and various local, national and international newspapers. Also in 1914 a youth library was set up with around 700 books, selected by an examination committee for youth literature, sorted by age group and indexed through its own directory. After the incorporation of Beeck in 1918, the stock of the local public library was also integrated into the old town hall.

In 1916, the Duisburg city library received its first full-time director, Victor Sallentien (1885–1935). He developed the Duisburg city library into an integral part of the city's educational and cultural life. In the same year, interlibrary loan was set up as a new service to enable citizens to borrow books from libraries in other cities.

Map of the area around Burgplatz around 1925 with Knüppelstraße, which no longer exists today

Due to the continued increase in stock and the continued great popularity among the citizens, the library had to move again in 1920 and was reopened on June 27 in the former bank building at Knüppelmarkt 7. The reading room has been significantly enlarged with a presence of 1,500 books, 170 magazines and local and foreign newspapers. In addition, the new facilities included storage rooms, bookbinding, study and exhibition areas. By taking over the holdings of the closed municipal high school and the remainder of the Duisburg University , which was closed in 1819 , it was possible to considerably expand the holdings of the city library. With the help of the budget, which was also significantly increased in 1920 to around 170,000 Reichsmarks , the holdings grew to around 75,000 volumes by the end of the 1920s. The music department established in 1929 in the central library formed a new branch with a stock of around 7,000 music books. The main focus of the collection, however, was on fiction and scientific specialist literature.

With the incorporation of Hamborns in 1930 and their library in the municipal vocational school on August-Thyssen-Strasse, the total stock increased again by 15,000 books.

During the National Socialism

In 1933, under pressure from the Nazi regime , some of the books with “Marxist and morally offensive content” were removed from the holdings, placed separately and were no longer allowed to be borrowed. In addition, the use of the library was restricted to the “ ethnic Germans ”. Sallentien was allowed to keep his office as director, however, since he had joined the NSDAP in 1932 and was therefore probably able to prevent book burnings in Duisburg.

In 1934 the central library moved again to Königstraße 1 in the former building of the Duisburg Society from the 18th century. Together with the Tonhalle , the city ​​theater , the art museum and the Duisburger General-Anzeiger , a representative “cultural mile” was created on Königstraße.

After Sallentin's death in 1935, the management of the city library remained vacant for two years and was occupied on June 7, 1937 by the Sudeten German writer and librarian Robert Hohlbaum , who was particularly sponsored by the Nazi regime . Five years later he left the position again to take up an appointment at the Weimar State Library (today Thuringian University and State Library in Jena). Before he left, however, he ensured that the holdings were expanded to around 150,000 volumes and the establishment of a collection of valuable manuscripts such as the Sachsenspiegel from 1385, works by Martin Luther from 1539 and manuscripts by contemporary German poets.

From October 1942, the director of the Niederrheinisches Heimatmuseum (today the Duisburg Cultural and City History Museum ) Wilhelm Schmitz-Veltin (1907–1968) initially temporarily and from November 1949 permanently took over the management of the Duisburg city library. In the course of the "hot phase" of the Second World War , most of the existing buildings fell victim to the air raid on December 20, 1942, when the building burned down to the ground. With the support of the Berlin government and the local book trade, however, a few months later it was possible to increase the stock to around 45,000 books. It was reopened on April 20, 1943 in the building of the Heimatmuseum, 75% of which had been relocated for reasons of protection. Shortly before the end of the Second World War, more precisely on February 21, 1945, the central library was destroyed again and the war in Duisburg ended with the invasion of the American troops a month later.

During the Second World War, in addition to the central library, only the branches in Beeck, Duissern , Hochfeld , Neudorf , Ruhrort and Huckingen were active.

After 1945 to 2014

The reopening of the Duisburg City Library under British occupation took place in October 1945 in the building on Düsseldorfer Straße 193. Despite the small initial inventory of around 18,000 volumes and the sharp drop in population from 440,000 to 144,800, the reopening was a complete success with more than 70,000 loans in the first year.

Due to the classification as "politically unsustainable" by the British occupation authorities, Schmitz-Veltin had to give up his post as library manager in September 1945. However, he was employed as a research assistant with a reduced salary. The head of the library was taken over by the head of the cultural department, Ernst D'ham . Just seven months later, while the denazification process was still in progress , Schmitz-Veltin was reinstated as head - initially on a temporary basis and, after the process was completed, as “exonerated” permanently from November 1949.

By decision of the City Council of Duisburg, a new building for the city library was designed in the Bauhaus style from 1951, built in Kant Park and inaugurated on April 4, 1952. The building was also the first public new building of a city library in the Federal Republic of Germany. 1955 was followed by the re-establishment of a children's and youth library, a large part of the books in stock at the first open access was presented, which was honored with a recognition as a UNESCO Model Library.

From 1961 onwards, based on the library development plan approved by the city council, the Duisburg City Library had a library network consisting of 27 branches and two book buses.

Former library building on Düsseldorfer Straße

However, as the space in the new Kant Park building was no longer sufficient in 1965 - the magazine alone (planned for 60,000 volumes) was already overcrowded due to the annual growth of around 15,000 volumes - the central library had to move again and was given the former German location as the new location Family department store ( DeFaKa ) on Düsseldorfer Straße 5–7. After extensive renovation work, the reopening took place on May 14, 1966 with a ceremony in the adjacent “Europa-Palast” studio.

With the size of the holdings and the equipment in the new building, the central library was at the top in North Rhine-Westphalia in 1966 and took 3rd place from an all-German perspective (FRG). Most of the 135,000 American-style volumes were presented on three floors in open access. The modern innovations also included the reader registry as well as loan booking, dunning and statistics via electronic data processing.

In 1968 Franz Rakowski took over the library management for the late Schmitz-Veltin and developed the Duisburg library into a recognized role model for public librarianship during his tenure. Under his leadership, the collection was expanded in such a way that it even met the high standards of a scientific library. In the 1970s, additional services were added, including a book bus and the establishment of the “Turkish Library” (now “Intercultural Library”) department for adults. At the same time, an “International Children's Library” was set up in the children's and youth sector, and from 1971 the International Children's and Youth Book Exhibition (IKiBu) was added as a major annual event .

As a further specialty, a “LiteraturCafe” was set up for the first time in 1973 in the basement of the central library (later on the ground floor), which is the first of its kind for public libraries.

In November 1974, a special mobile library was set up as a model experiment by the Bonn Federal Ministry of Education for the foreign city population, which also supported the project financially with around 400,000 DM. The so-called “model mobile library for foreigners” (colloquially also “ guest worker bus ”) drove to 14 stops in residential areas with a high proportion of foreigners on four afternoons a week. The foreign language offer mainly comprised Turkish-language media, which were relatively easy to obtain, but also Greek, Italian, Spanish, Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian, Portuguese and English literature. By the end of the project led by Johannes Fest in 1976, the inventory comprised around 6,500 media and 3,400 registered users (77.6% of whom were men) with around 62,600 loans. After the pilot project was completed, the media were distributed to the central library and selected branches.

In 1975, with the incorporation of Rheinhausen , Homberg - Hochheide , Rumeln-Kaldenhausen , Baerl and Walsum , the holdings of the local libraries were also taken over. This year, the city library also reached the highest level of the branch network in Duisburg with over 39 district and district libraries as well as combined school and district libraries. The new development of a systematic catalog with 22 main or subject groups (later 23), which became the model for more than 80 public libraries in Germany and Austria (as of 2001) as the system of the Duisburg City Library (SSD) , also fell during this period .

In the course of the budget problems that began in 1978 and the resulting cost-cutting measures, the city library had to be greatly reduced. Some of the school and district libraries were closed and the high level of event activities were restricted due to the reduced staff.

The advent of the so-called “ new media ” (music and video cassettes, CDs, DVDs, e-books, etc.) in the 1990s was followed by the Duisburg library with a range of corresponding media. Between 1990 and 1999 the stock of video cassettes and music CDs tripled, while the supply of literature cassettes doubled. In the 2000s, DVD feature films, non-fiction films and computer games were added. The offer was supplemented with the expansion of the Internet through the intermediary use of databases and, since 1999, Internet-enabled PC workstations .

After Franz Rakowski († 2014) left the company, Hans Martin Sonn took over the position of director of the Duisburg City Library in 1990. His term of office until 1998 was marked by the worsening deficit budget situation in Duisburg, which already in the 1980s pulled the library into the wake of the city's budget consolidation.

Since January 1, 1999, the Duisburg City Library has been managed by Dr. Jan-Pieter Barbian . The integration of modern information technology in the library work as well as the provision of diverse offers in the field of school and professional training and further education form the main focus of his term of office.

Since 2015

Due to increasing damage to the aging former commercial building (DeFaKa), the City Council of Duisburg decided to build a new building for the central library at Steinschen Gasse 26. The old “Boecker-Haus”, which had previously stood at this point, was demolished in 2012 to make room for the so-called “ Duisburg city window ”, which was supposed to house the adult education center as well as the library. The architecture of the building was designed in such a way that the central library occupies the front half facing the street and the VHS the rear half. The entire usable area is also made barrier-free .

On February 7, 2015, the central library on Düsseldorfer Strasse opened its doors for the last time and then moved into the new city window with a collection that had grown to a total of 300,000 media. To make the move easier, an appeal to the citizens of Duisburg with the motto “Lend us empty!” And the offer of an extended loan period had been launched, which was accepted with great enthusiasm. With the help of a special transport company, the non-borrowed inventory was transferred to the city window and distributed over the three floors. The central library resumed its operations on July 14, 2015, and the city window was officially inaugurated on August 22 as part of a large public festival.

Facilities

Central Library

With currently around 300,000 media (as of December 2018), spread over three floors with an area of ​​approx. 3,800 m², the central library has the most extensive range within the Duisburg City Library system. All media (with the exception of the reference inventory) can also be requested free of charge by readers from the branches via the internal loan system. In addition to the classic, systematic inventory, the customer will find expanded inventory in separately presented media libraries on selected topics such as “Education and Profession”, “Parents and Children” or “Consumer Issues”. As a special offer for nursing staff, supervisors and volunteers in senior citizens' facilities with a valid library card, so-called "media cases for senior citizen work" are available with selected and pre-compiled media for the employment and activation of senior citizens as well as instructions and ideas for the supervisors. PC workstations with internet access are available on all floors. The offer is supplemented by notebooks and mobile DVD players, which customers can borrow for use in the library.

On the first floor, the children's and young people's library offers a trend-oriented media mix with books, magazines, DVD movies, computer games and music CDs in an inviting and attractive ambience. The front area, together with the “school center”, is primarily tailored to the needs of young people and the rear area offers children up to 12 years of age in four special functional rooms ( houses ). Also on the first floor is the “International Children's Library” with a wide range of around 5,000 media in 19 languages.

In the transition area between the children's and youth library and the registration area of ​​the adult education center is the "Café im Stadtfenster", where you can get cakes and other snacks in addition to coffee and other beverage specialties. Readings by the Association for Literature also take place regularly in the café area .

The adult area is located on the second and third floors. The second floor is mainly determined by the area of fiction (novels, audio books), the music library (CDs, sheet music, music room with grand piano) as well as the film and music film DVDs. In addition, there is the “Intercultural Library”, various media on the subject areas of psychology, education, language, art (visual arts, dance, theater) and literary studies as well as the “More about life” themed media library.

All other subject areas such as geography and local history, religion and philosophy, history and law, economics and social sciences as well as natural science and technical subjects can be found on the third floor. In addition, the themed media libraries such as “Training and Profession”, “Consumers” and “Environment”, “Festgestaltung” and, since 2016, “Arriving in Germany” offer special learning and information material.

Historical collection

Detail of the historical collection in the exhibition room
Sachsenspiegel manuscript from 1385 (sister manuscript of the Harffer Sachsenspiegel)

A special feature on the third floor is the “Historical and Beautiful Books” collection, which is now visible to the public. It currently comprises around 3,500 manuscripts and printed works from the 14th to 19th centuries.

The collection was founded in 1937 by the then head Robert Hohlbaum. As one of the first works, the Sachsenspiegel from 1385 came into the possession of the city library, of which around 460 manuscripts still exist worldwide. In the course of the Second World War, this first historical collection burned up except for a few copies and the Sachsenspiegel, which had been relocated for security reasons.

The historical collection was not rebuilt until 1963. The bibliophile collection of 1050 works of German and French literature as well as Latin and Greek classics by the tobacco manufacturer Dr. Ernst Böninger (1877–1961). Among other things, “ Utopia ” by Thomas More (1478–1535), the “ Discorsi ” by Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), the complete editions of the works of Voltaire (1694–1778) and Frederick the Great (1712–1786) came from his estate. as well as a “last hand edition” and the “ Italian Journey ” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) in the possession of the city library.

By taking over around 200 volumes from the dissolved holdings of the synodal libraries of the Protestant church districts of Duisburg North and South, the historical collection of the city library could be expanded further. The collection was given to the city library in 1973 as a permanent loan and finally as a gift in 2002. From this collection, the “Strasbourg Bible” as incunabula from 1485, a Zurich Bible translation from 1548, “The Church Constitution of Today's Jews” by Johann Christoph Georg Bodenschatz from 1748 as well as some more recent Bible translations, some of which by Dalí , Chagall and Hundertwasser were illustrated.

Around 1,300 printed works and a manuscript were transferred from the historical library of the Landfermann-Gymnasium to the collection of the city library in 1989 , of which around 350 originally came from the old Duisburg University. The breviary with prayers and chants, handwritten by several scribes, was completed in 1386 and, along with the Sachsenspiegel, is one of the oldest works in the historical collection. This collection also includes a Cicero edition from 1546 by the Venetian publisher Aldo Manutio , several atlases and travelogues by Gerhard Mercator as well as rare editions of Greek and Latin classics from the 16th century.

School media center

With a current inventory of over 15,000 media (as of 2016), the School Media Center (SMZ) of the Duisburg City Library offers a large selection of audiovisual, electronic and print media such as children's and youth films or non-fiction films, picture book cinemas as well as themed packages and class sets, i.e. . H. Multiple books that can be borrowed, including accompanying material, for teachers in class. All media are also available online for download via the EDMOND portal.

The loan to employees of Duisburg educational institutions and recognized youth associations as well as for the purposes of institutionalized training and further education is free of charge. In addition, the school media center provides advice on research options and media selection as well as the use and handling of AV media in lessons.

Branches

The comprehensive branch network currently (as of 2016) comprises six district libraries ( Buchholz , Hamborn , Homberg-Hochheide , Meiderich , Rheinhausen , Walsum ), five district libraries ( Beeck , Neumühl , Ruhrort , Vierlinden , Wanheimerort ), two school and district libraries ( comprehensive school south , Rumeln-Kaldenhausen ) and a book bus. The internal lending system enables readers to borrow media from the central library as well as from other branches. Returns can also be made at any of the branches.

literature

  • Franz Rakowski (Ed.): Duisburg City Library. 1901-1976. Documentation from the Duisburg City Library in 1976 . Duisburg 1976.
  • Jan-Pieter Barbian , Jens Holthoff, Sigrid Kruse : 100 years of the Duisburg City Library . Festschrift. 1901-2001. Ed .: City of Duisburg, The Lord Mayor, City Library. City library, Duisburg 2001, ISBN 3-89279-577-0 .
  • Jan-Pieter Barbian: From the Sachsenspiegel to the eBook. The Duisburg City Library as a multimedia information and education center . In: Duisburger Jahrbuch . Wohlfarth, Duisburg 2004, ISBN 3-87463-334-9 , p. 143-151 .
  • Jan-Pieter Barbian , Tayfun Demir : History with a future. 30 years of the Turkish library in the Duisburg city library . In: book and library . 57th year, no. 2 , 2005, ISSN  0340-0301 , p. 134-137 .
  • Duisburger Library Foundation (ed.): Exquisite book treasures . The collection of historical and beautiful books of the Duisburg City Library. Duisburg City Library, Duisburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-89279-634-3 .
  • Jan-Pieter Barbian (Ed.): Literature as a matter of the heart. The Association for Literature and Art and the World of Books in Duisburg 1912–2012 . 1st edition. Klartext, Essen 2012, ISBN 978-3-8375-0717-1 .
  • Jan-Pieter Barbian: Literature as a matter of the heart (=  Duisburg City Archives , Mercator Society Duisburg eV [Hrsg.]: Duisburger Forschungen . Volume 61 ). 1st edition. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8375-1498-8 , p. 89-132 .
  • Jan-Pieter Barbian: From the “Sachsenspiegel” to the eBook. The Duisburg City Library as a municipal media, education and cultural center . 1st edition. Klartext, Essen 2017, ISBN 978-3-8375-1521-3 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Duisburg City Library - locations
  2. ^ Online offer from the Duisburg City Library
  3. ^ Thuringian Literature Council - short biography and bibliography of Heinrich Grosch
  4. ↑ Duisburg City Archives , No. 401/11 and 401/24 Part 2: Duisburger General-Anzeiger from January 6 and October 22, 1912 and Duisburg City Archives No. 401/55 Part 2
  5. ↑ Jan-Pieter Barbian: Literature as a matter of the heart (=  Duisburg City Archives , Mercator Society Duisburg eV [Hrsg.]: Duisburger Forschungen . Volume 61 ). 1st edition. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8375-1498-8 , p. 97, 108 .
  6. ↑ Family tree Drewes-Lingner - Victor Sallentien in the web archive
  7. ↑ Jan-Pieter Barbian: Literature as a matter of the heart (=  Duisburg City Archives , Mercator Society Duisburg eV [Hrsg.]: Duisburger Forschungen . Volume 61 ). 1st edition. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8375-1498-8 , p. 95 .
  8. ^ The new Duisburg city library. In: Generalanzeiger. Illustrated Rundschau. dated June 27, 1920
  9. ↑ a b Jan-Pieter Barbian: Literature as a matter of the heart (=  Duisburg City Archives , Mercator Society Duisburg eV [ed.]: Duisburger Forschungen . Volume 61 ). 1st edition. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8375-1498-8 , p. 99 .
  10. ↑ Duisburg's library director was in the NSDAP . In: Jan-Pieter Barbian: derwesten.de on May 8, 2013
  11. ↑ Jan-Pieter Barbian: Literature as a matter of the heart (=  Duisburg City Archives , Mercator Society Duisburg eV [Hrsg.]: Duisburger Forschungen . Volume 61 ). 1st edition. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8375-1498-8 , p. 99 .
  12. ↑ a b Jan-Pieter Barbian: Literature as a matter of the heart (=  Duisburg City Archives , Mercator Society Duisburg eV [ed.]: Duisburger Forschungen . Volume 61 ). 1st edition. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8375-1498-8 , p. 99 .
  13. ↑ Jan-Pieter Barbian: Literature as a matter of the heart (=  Duisburg City Archives , Mercator Society Duisburg eV [Hrsg.]: Duisburger Forschungen . Volume 61 ). 1st edition. Klartext Verlag, Essen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8375-1498-8 , p. 99 .
  14. ↑ a b Library mourns Franz Rakowski. derwesten.de, December 10, 2014, accessed on December 2, 2016 .
  15. ↑ Coffee feeds bookworms in the NRZ from April 18, 1973
  16. ↑ Hatice Akyün : The bus with which I discovered the world . In: book and library . November 2016, ISSN 1869-1137 , p.   648–653 ( bub.de [PDF; 4.0 MB ; accessed on April 12, 2017]).
  17. ↑ Jan-Pieter Barbian: A story with a future. The intercultural offers of the Duisburg City Library . In: Duisburger Jahrbuch 2017 . Mercator-Verlag, Duisburg 2016, ISBN 978-3-946895-00-8 , p. 22-23 .
  18. ^ Jan-Pieter Barbian: Farewell to a great personality in the German library system. Franz Rakowski passed away / Many accents were set . In: Book and Library Volume = 67th year . No. 2–3 , 2015, ISSN  1869-1137 , pp. 92-93 ( bub.de [PDF; 707 kB ; accessed on April 12, 2017]).
  19. ↑ The city window celebrates its opening. City of Duisburg, accessed on July 25, 2017 .
  20. ^ Duisburg City Library - Headquarters
  21. ^ Duisburg City Library - media case for seniors
  22. ^ Duisburg City Library - International Children's Library
  23. ↑ a b Historical and Beautiful Books - The Collection of the Duisburg City Library
  24. ↑ Duisburger Library Foundation (ed.): Exquisite book treasures . The collection of historical and beautiful books of the Duisburg City Library. Duisburg City Library, Duisburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-89279-634-3 , p. 13 .
  25. ↑ a b c Anne Horstmeier: Book gifts of a very special kind in the NRZ from December 24, 2016
  26. ↑ Duisburger Library Foundation (ed.): Exquisite book treasures . The collection of historical and beautiful books of the Duisburg City Library. Duisburg City Library, Duisburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-89279-634-3 , p. 14 .
  27. ^ School media center (SMZ) of the Duisburg city library
  28. ↑ Lending conditions of the school media center of the Duisburg City Library  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www2.duisburg.de  
  29. ↑ Book bus of the Duisburg City Library