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The Düsseldorf Central Library in KAP1 has been awarded the national library prize "Library of the Year 2023". The library offers not only books and media on 8,000 m², but also workspaces, coworking learning boxes, a future laboratory with VR glasses, a LibraryLab studio for podcasts, and a green rooftop terrace. The innovative Open Library concept allows users to access the library outside of opening hours. The prize "Library of the Year in small municipalities and regions 2023" was awarded to the City and School Library Lauenburg, which stands out for its technology-related and digital offerings as well as its promotion of reading. [Extracted from the article]

Art is all around in library collections. Nevertheless, art is not seen to be a common subject for libraries despite for art libraries. Works of art exhibited in or created out of library collections offer new perspectives including the library system itself. Our article gives an overview of where and how art can find its place in libraries. We share insights gained from three art programs based on digital library collections organized in the context of the project "Open Digital Libraries for Creative Users" at the Austrian National Library. Open content and an organisational culture of openness are pivotal for successful art programs. This article also intends to spark a community of practice (CoP) for cooperation between libraries and artists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ausgehend von (populär-)kulturellen Darstellungen von Bibliotheken wird das Verhältnis von physischen Räumen und Artefakten und Digitalisaten und digitaler Nutzung betrachtet. Eine Möglichkeit der Verknüpfung von Nutzenden mit der Bibliothek ist die genaue digitale Nachahmung der physischen Bibliothekssituation, eine zweite richtet die digitale Nutzung radikal auf maschinelle Nutzung aus und emanzipiert sich vom menschlichen Nutzenden. Based on (popular) cultural representations of libraries, the relationship between physical spaces and artefacts and digitised copies and digital use is considered. One way of linking users to the library is the exact digital imitation of the physical library situation; a second radically aligns digital use with machine use and emancipates itself from the human users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der Beitrag bezieht die aktuelle schwedische Bibliotheksdebatte auf die europaweit entfachte Diskussion zur Verteidigung und Stärkung der Demokratie. Im Zuge der Kritik an Habermas' Öffentlichkeitskonzept, dessen frühe Version von homogenisierenden Vorstellungen geleitet war, wird nun versucht, demokratische Prozeduren und Repräsentationsweisen ausgehend von divergierenden Überzeugungen (Dissens) und länger anhaltenden Konflikten neu zu fassen. Der demokratiesichernde Auftrag – nicht nur – der schwedischen Bibliotheken zeichnet sich dadurch aus, in Krisen- und Konfliktlagen Informationen und Orientierungswissen bereitzustellen, ein sicherer öffentlicher Raum zu sein und sowohl das Personal als auch die Anwendenden mit Ressourcen auszustatten, die ihnen jederzeit ermöglichen, gesprächsbereit und handlungsfähig zu bleiben. This paper relates the current library debate in Sweden to the ongoing discussion across Europe about defending and strengthening democracy. In the wake of the criticism of Habermas' notion of the 'public sphere', which was guided by homogenising ideas in its early version, this paper now attempts to reconceptualise democratic processes and modes of representation considering divergent views (dissent) and long-term conflicts. Along with other institutions, the Swedish libraries follow the mandate to safeguard democracy by providing information and knowledge for orientation in situations of crisis and conflict, by being safe public spaces and by providing both library personnel and library users with resources that enable them to remain open to discussions and to be capable to always act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agilität als Möglichkeit, Organisationen erfolgreicher auszurichten, wird auch in Bibliotheken populärer. Oft erfolgt die agile Transformation dabei aber mit einem einseitigen Fokus auf agile Tools, was zu Frustration und Ablehnung bei den Bibliotheksmitarbeiter*innen führen kann. Besteht hingegen auch ein Bewusstsein für agile Prinzipien und Werte sowie die Bereitschaft, das agile Arbeiten empiriebasiert an die Bedürfnisse der Bibliotheksmitarbeiter*innen und Benutzer*innen anzupassen, kann die Transformation gelingen. Dies zeigt der Beitrag anhand von Praxisbeispielen auf der Ebene von Projekten, Teams und der Gesamtorganisation von Bibliotheken auf. Agile management, a promising way of optimising organisational structures, is increasingly used in libraries as well. The focus of agile transformation is, however, mostly dedicated to the use of tools and techniques leading to frustration and resistance on the side of library staff. If, on the other hand, there is an awareness of agile principles and values, and a willingness to adapt these tools to empirically based needs of both library staff and users, agile transformation can succeed. This is illustrated by various examples at the level of projects, teams and the overall organisation of libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German Book and Writing Museum of the German National Library has published a publication titled "Deep Drilling. A Different Provenance History". The book tells the story of the museum from the perspective of the origin of its collections and sheds light on cultural heritage. It raises questions about the historical and social development of the collections as well as the intentions behind donations and endowments. The publication also includes a media history from the beginnings of writing to the digital age. In addition to the publication, there is a virtual exhibition and a film series on provenance stories. With its new location on Schlüterstraße, the ZBW is opening a hub that brings together visitors, library users, and guests from around the world virtually and in person. The city of Hamburg is providing an area of ​​around 52,000 square meters, of which the ZBW will use about a quarter. The property in neo-Gothic style, which was the largest telecommunications office in the world, will be completely renovated and converted. The move is planned for early 2026. Prof. Dr. Klaus Tochtermann, Director of the ZBW, was the only representative of a scientific library to be admitted to the Scientific Senate of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). The NFDI is intended to systematically develop and network data collections from science and research. The Martineum Halberstadt Gymnasium from Saxony-Anhalt won the international final of the YES! - Young Economic Summit. They presented an app that makes company data tracking visible. The Buckhorn Gymnasium from Hamburg took third place in the Young Economic Summit with the idea "UseH2 for more sustainable air travel". The St. Raphael Gymnasium from Heidelberg received the prize for the best scientific analysis with the idea "Bring the public back into public procurement!". The best international team was chosen by the Sheffield Girls' Sixth Form with the solution idea "Migration Education for the Misinformed Nation". The Young Economic Summit is a school competition in which students independently develop and present solutions to global challenges. The project is under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy and is a collaboration between the ZBW - Leibniz Information Center for Economics and the Joachim Herz Foundation. The Bavarian State Library has acquired the archive of photographer Nikolai Molodovsky, which includes around 69,000 photographs. Molodovsky documented rural everyday life in post-war Bavaria with his camera. The Bavarian State Library is expanding its image archive and securing rare snapshots of Bavarian post-war history. The analogue photo archive consists of black and white negatives, color slides, and high-quality prints. The Bavarian State Library will permanently preserve and make Molodovsky's life's work accessible. The Bavarian State Library has published its three millionth digitization, a Ukrainian poetry booklet by Olena Teliha. The author was murdered by the German occupiers during World War II. The digitization of the collections of the Bavarian State Library is carried out with external service providers and the digital copies are offered almost exclusively in open access for worldwide use. The Klassik Stiftung Weimar has restituted 13 books from the former ownership of Julius Wahle, a Jewish literary scholar, to his heirs. Two books were returned and the rest were handed over to the Klassik Stiftung. As part of the restitution, stumbling stones were laid for Julius Wahle and his four family members who were murdered in Auschwitz. A small working group has created a new questionnaire for [Extracted from the article]

Bibliotheken wollen und sollen inklusive Orte für alle Menschen sein und eine positive und wertschätzende Atmosphäre schaffen. Teil davon ist der respektvolle Umgang mit Nutzenden, sowohl im direkten Kontakt vor Ort als auch beim Kontakt über Anmeldeformulare und Webseiten. Im Rahmen des digitalen Denklabors „Critical Library Perspectives“, das im Mai und Juni 2022 von der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin und der Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin veranstaltet wurde, haben wir uns mit gendersensibler Sprache im Kontakt mit Bibliotheksnutzenden auseinandergesetzt. Im ersten Teil werten wir stichprobenartig Anmeldeformulare und Webseiten aus, um ein aktuelles Bild vom Stand der Umsetzung und Anwendung gendersensibler Sprache in diesen Bereichen zu erhalten. Im zweiten Teil verknüpfen wir Anmelde- sowie Auskunftsgespräche vor Ort und deren Ziele mit der Anwendung gendersensibler Sprache. Aus dieser Verknüpfung entsteht eine konkrete Handlungsempfehlung für Mitarbeitende in Auskunftssituationen, wenn diese eine Person misgendert haben. Libraries want to and should be inclusive places for all people and create a positive and appreciative atmosphere. Part of this is respectful interaction with users, both in direct contact on site and in contact via registration forms and websites. As part of the digital Scholar’s Lab "Critical Library Perspectives", organized by the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and the University Library of Freie Universität Berlin in May and June 2022, we explored gender-sensitive language in contact with library users. In the first part, we evaluate registration forms and websites to get an up-to-date picture of the state of implementation and use of gender-sensitive language in these settings. In the second part, we link on-site registration as well as reference interviews and their goals with the use of gender-sensitive language. This link results in a practical recommendation for librarians on how to act in case they misgendered a person face-to-face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the Dokk1 multifunctional library, which has achieved international recognition as an exemplary city library of the future. The first part of the article is devoted to a description of the spatio-temporal configurations and social interactions inside and outside the imposing building situated at the tip of Århus harbour. In the second part, the spatial-sociological perspective applied in the description is transferred to the measures and objectives aimed at promoting democracy, as these have been formulated in the municipal guidelines and other current documents. As user orientation is considered the most important guiding principle for the library staff, the behaviour of both the library users and the staff is interpreted in this article as representative of everyday democratic negotiation. Finally, it explores the question of how far the social togetherness in the library and local democracy in the municipality Århus kommun could be related to each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Editorial: Towards a contemporary library - Libraries as a microcosm of a modern relationship between the state and civil society" discusses the relationship between libraries and their users. It is noted that this relationship is often characterized by rule development and enforcement, rather than sufficient user orientation. The concept of the Open Library is given as an example, where users are given more responsibility and therefore less control is required from the staff. Another example concerns the amount of fines for late returns of media, where lower penalties are considered sufficient. It is suggested that an activity monitoring system could be used instead of fines to monitor timely renewals. The article emphasizes the importance of providing electronic resources and additional services such as free book scanners to reduce stress and conflicts. It is also pointed out that a better mutual understanding between library staff and users is necessary. The article suggests that a culture of welcome and open communication can promote changes and improvements in libraries. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the concept of the 'Open Library' with regard to its possibilities and challenges from the perspective of a communication expert. The focus of the article is on the fundamental changes that an 'Open Library' brings with it concerning the relationship between the library and its users. The author illustrates from a practical point of view why these changes represent a challenge, but also a great opportunity, for library staff and explains how library teams can prepare for 'Open Library' in a professional and customer-oriented way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why not digitize library membership as well? The digital library card of the Goethe-Institut's makes plastic cards superfluous and at the same time bundles the libraries' digital offerings and services in a single application. Designed as a mobile application for Android and iOS, the digital library card is already in use at more than 50 libraries in the Goethe-Institut's worldwide network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imagining the World Wide Web as a giant library implies the proficiency of librarians, or at least qualified library services that accomplish the varied tasks assigned to librarians. Existing web search engines are nowhere near fulfilling such tasks and services as cataloguing publications and mediating between library resources and users in a satisfactory manner. Professional librarians could provide much better support especially in long-term and in-depth research projects. This article discusses the advantages and benefits of library services and the assistance of librarians in research, and illustrates how new, decentrally organized web search systems can deal with these complex tasks to provide effective and long-term support for users doing scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German Library Association (dbv) has taken a position on the "Fair Reading" campaign, which claims that public libraries are destroying the e-book market and compromising freedom of speech. The dbv argues that these claims are based on false information. Libraries must acquire a license for each e-book they wish to lend, and each e-book can only be read by one person at a time. The borrowing of e-books is limited to library customers with a library card. The dbv further demands a legal regulation for e-book lending, in order to enable libraries to purchase e-book licenses for new releases and to fairly compensate authors. [Extracted from the article]