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The cooperation between archives and libraries with regard to the cataloguing of autographs and papers has changed dramatically over the course of the last twenty years, mainly due to the use of electronic media. By now there are online data banks which contain information on the autograph and paper collections of the Federal Archives Koblenz and the Berlin State Library. Traditionally, there has been a gap in Germany between archives and libraries in this vital field. It is the task for the future to overcome this gap once and for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mit Blick auf das Jahr 2040 stellt der Beitrag die Auswirkungen der künstlichen Intelligenz (KI) auf die Bibliotheken dar. Mit der zunehmenden Fähigkeit von Algorithmen, Texte zu generieren, könnten Maschinen in der Lage sein, ganze Bibliotheken zu lesen und auf individuelle Bedürfnisse zugeschnittene Fragen in natürlicher Sprache zu beantworten. Dies könnte dazu führen, dass Informationskompetenz und der Rückgriff auf (veraltete) Bücher für die Nutzer gleichermaßen verzichtbar wird. Dieses Szenario stellt jedoch eine dystopische Zukunft für die institutionelle Informationsversorgung durch Bibliotheken dar; es wird davor gewarnt, zu pessimistisch zu sein. Vielmehr muss festgestellt werden, dass frühere Prognosen über die Auswirkungen der Technologie auf die Bibliotheken falsch waren. Dementsprechend sollte die Zukunft der Bibliotheken nicht in einem aussichtslosen Kampf gegen digitale Trends gesehen werden. Stattdessen sollten sich Bibliotheken an das sich verändernde Umfeld anpassen, indem sie ihre Rolle als Lern- und Wissensinstitutionen neu definieren, die Differenzierungswirkung der digitalen Transformation in den Blick nehmen und sich die Frage stellen, wie das Analoge sich im digitalen Umfeld verändert bzw. wie eine sachgerechte institutionelle Antwort auf diese Veränderung aussehen kann. Looking ahead to 2040, the paper outlines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on libraries. As algorithms become more capable of generating text, machines could be able to read entire libraries and answer questions tailored to individual needs in natural language. This could make information literacy and reliance on (outdated) books less important for users. However, this scenario represents a dystopian future for institutional information provision by libraries; it is important not to be too pessimistic. Rather, it should be noted that previous predictions about the impact of technology on libraries have been wrong. Accordingly, the future of libraries should not be seen as a hopeless battle against digital trends. Instead, libraries should adapt to the changing environment by redefining their role as institutions of learning and knowledge, looking at the differentiating effects of digital transformation, and asking themselves how the analogue is changing in the digital environment, or what an appropriate institutional response to this change might look like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, interaction with clients of the library will be transferred in to the stage of a theatre. Our format is the improvisational theatre with the show taking place at the library information desk: the players (=staff) task is to perform with high flexibility when being confronted with the expectations, demands, wishes, and needs of library visitors. While it can be helpful to play with and emphasise certain individual traits staff, is also asked to implement strategies and case models in order to act and react satisfyingly for both involved parties. Here, it can be extremely rewarding to make use of the basics of improvisational theatre. Also knowing and using the own inner team can be of great asset. Let's party, let's act! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the role and potential of libraries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Both positive examples and wishful thinking in public and academic libraries are highlighted, as well as the impact of the lobbying activities of the library associations are highlighted. The final "outlook" is intended to encourage awareness of the potential of the agenda for libraries, their communities, and society as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses hypotheses why women librarians are particularly resistant to and critical of new forms of culture and learning that young visitors of libraries find attractive. Based on several enquiries, the author concludes that libraries in France remain a feminine world which tends to be closed to intermixing sexual, ethnic and social barriers. She describes women's reaction to young people - qualified as 'non-readers', 'visitors', or 'tourists' - who prefer libraries with coffee shops, DVD rentals and internet services. Male teenagers legitimately find traditional libraries gloomy, and female librarians are particularly critical about their behaviour and preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

400 lectures and company presentations as well as 150 exhibitors formed the technical framework for the 101st German Librarians’ Day in Hamburg in May 2012. Whether e-books, Discovery Services, Patron Driven Acquisition, or the latest offers of service partner, the rich palette of topics offered something for each of the more than 4,500 information professionals. This paper provides a summary of the professional part and let some of the participants report on what personal benefits they draw from “Librarians’ Day”. Due to the technical orientation, a summary of the rich entertainment program was intentionally left out here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German Bundestag set up a Study Commission on „Culture in Germany", which presented its final results by December 2007. The areas on which the Commission focused include the tasks and the financing of public libraries. The paper discusses the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission from a political point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research and application of modern science increasingly rely upon gigabit and terabit networks, allowing sharing of supercomputer resources and collaborate authoring of multimedia documents alike. University courses are given online, students use blogs, wikis and social networking sites to create information and thus become authors themselves. This paper reports about the 29th annual IATUL conference, held in Auckland, New Zealand, discussing diverse aspects of web 2. O, national and international e-science infrastructure projects and the role of libraries therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the changing role of the user in information systems in the Web 2.0 this paper critically questions the concept of information literacy. Five theses on information literacy 2.0 as well as suggestions for further reading offer the possibility to change the perspective of the view on information literacy predominating in German libraries in the direction of a more holistic view of information and learning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As in many libraries with rare books in the Duke August Library uncertainty prevailed about the condition of their valuable holdings. Accidental negative feedback resulting from requests to the stacks alerted the responsible staff and fostered the feeling that one should examine more thoroughly. Is the security of the holdings still given? Are there volumes misplaced? Is the catalogue reliable? These and other reasons induced the Duke August Library to carry out a general stack review of its rare book holdings. This paper will discuss very briefly the theoretical background and then report in more detail about the preparation, the process and the results of the rare book stack review at the Duke August Library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports selected results of an empirical study where library executives from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as from Great Britain and the USA, were consulted with respect to the future of the library system. The latter two countries were selected since they are frequently considered in international comparisons because of their model fonction. Apart from the evaluation of the current country-specific situation, the judgment of alternative future scenarios regarding their probability of occurrence constituted the main focus of this questioning. The concurrences and differences resulting from the individual estimates can be helpful when carrying out strategic planning in the German library system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A system for describing the material condition of library (or archive) collections is presented, which is based on selecting the samples in even distribution all over the whole collection, avoiding the little illustrative methods of mathematic statistics. Another characteristic is that on the spot, i.e. describing the samples in the stacks or after getting them out at the writing table, only real and material findings are registered, avoiding qualifying categories. Evaluation is done using the possibilities for selection and combination offered by a spreadsheet program via special macro-commands for navigation, selection and calculation. The relevant program is available (at this time only in German). A single characteristic is the author's polemic against repeated folding as means to define paper degradation. This method has resulted in heavily exaggerated ideas on the material condition in the libraries. A single fold is suggested instead, followed by inspecting the fold line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]