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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]

Abstracts of theses are presented on topics including the psychosocial impact of library architecture on library users, trends in German libraries, and an analysis of the music collection of the library of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Leipzig college.

The survey was conducted as a series of interviews based on a questionnaire. 35 members of different groups of the TU Ilmenau were interviewed. The persons questioned were very satisfied with the university bibliography service or took it for granted. The demand on the service quality was very great. Problems expected by the library were not confirmed. The necessity to list more documents or objects like research data or video documents was deemed very important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource Description and Access (RDA) is not only intended for use in libraries, but also for all cultural organizations such as archives and museums. It is to be asked whether one standard is enough to satisfy the needs of such a variety of different resources available in such institutions. Although, today, there is no intention of using RDA for unique materials, it is crucial to adapt the existing set of rules in order to meet the challenges of a globalized world. This essay illustrates the current thoughts and developments on the topic and will also outline possible solutions for the problems inherent in RDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spring 2013, the ETH (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zürich) library management gave out the job of revising the library's web portal. This job seemed attractive as the work promised to produce immediately visible results because the revision procedure was expressly meant to be carried out as quickly as possible. Surveys and the daily work with the clients had shown that improvements were necessary and that adjustments to new usage trends had to be carried out. The following report describes the thoughts on the revision and the measures considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many libraries are convinced that their internet presence should continue to be a central portal for information seekers and would like it to stay this way. However, in reality the situation is completely different. Library websites play an ever-decreasing role for students and teaching staff. The introduction of a discovery system provides a good opportunity to rethink the outdated portal concept used for library internet pages websites and to break new ground. explore new avenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communicating information in the era of the internet poses a new challenge to public libraries. Is there a way to connect conventional media and digital information to experience both worlds as one? With the research project 'Quellentaucher' ('source diver'), North Rhine-Westphalia intends to develop and test new opportunities of information research. The library user shall be offered an intuitive and entertaining research experience. The research project is carried out in cooperation with the working group Human-Computer Interaction of the university of applied sciences in Konstanz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demographic development shows that the proportion of senior citizens in the German population is growing. Therefore, this section of the population becomes more and more significant and it is important to deal with this target group. The offers which libraries can develop for the target group of senior citizens depend on the respective local prerequisites and the resources of each library (personnel, budget, premises). Senior citizens are a heterogeneous group of several generations, characterised by different interests and levels of education, as well as different intellectual and physical conditions. The library should develop its range of offers within a concept with clear objectives to make it successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a table of contents for the April 2015 issue of the library science periodical "Bibliotheksdienst" on topics including library lending of electronic books, evaluations and comparisons of libraries, and the establishment of a standardized customer satisfaction survey for patrons of college libraries in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A list of editors of the periodical is offered, the publication of the periodical by the Walter De Gruyter company is announced, and information is provided on the periodical's open access publishing credentials.

This article deals with the specific target groups for vocational training. The focus is on the satisfaction with the libraries' offers and on possible services to increase their attractiveness and thereby strengthen the role of Berlin's public libraries as educational agents for those who left school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public libraries offer easy, free access to information, education and entertainment to individuals from all sections of society. Today, their offers play an important role in promoting and supporting media competence. This article examines how well libraries enable immobile persons and inhabitants of less developed areas to take part in society, based on the results of the study 'Use monitoring for public libraries', a project of the Berlin public libraries (NuMoB study). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013, library users were questioned in the course of the Berlin EFRE project NuMoB of the Berlin public libraries. The results coming from users of the existing bookmobiles differ in some areas from those of the general survey. The high customer satisfaction especially with the staff running the bookmobiles may be emphasized. This is not least a result of a different form of customer treatment with more personal contact. Bookmobiles serve needs individually and thereby are an element of the library system - also in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the storage capacities in both buildings of the State Library of Berlin have been exhausted, a new storage library has been built in Berlin-Friedrichshagen. The architect for this building was Eberhard Wimmer from Munich. In phase one of the building work, space has been created for about 6 Million volumes. This space is going to be used by the State Library, the Ibero-American Institute, and the Bildagentur für Kunst, Kultur und Geschichte of the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz. All volumes will be equally available to all users. Also, for the first time, the storage library will be operated by an external service company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's library customers seem to struggle with the complexity of traditional online library catalogues and databases when it comes to finding literature relevant to their subjects. This is one of the main reasons why 'Discovery Services' and 'One-Stop-Shop' have shaped up into somehow global buzzwords, since these new service offers do simplify crossing the threshold and learning in libraries. They are the entrance portal to academic research aiming at both customer retention and win-back from large-scale web search engines as primary information resources. DigiBib - The Digital Library has been following the path to offer a full service bundle for library users for many years by now. On these grounds, it was only a matter of consequence to also fit the new technologies into the library portal and provide a discovery service with catalogue feature integration. This article reports on project modules and implementation of DigiBib IntrOX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent model 'Patron Driven Acquisition' has been adapted by many libraries for licensing e-book packages. Following a profile defined individually by the library a vendor provides access to a collection of e-books which will be acquired only by the demand of a library patron according to different models and conditions. Libraries within a regional network have high expectations regarding the immediate processing of the title metadata for their PDA titles which means a big challenge for the responsible central office of the network. Below the metadata management for PDA projects within the HeBIS regional library network is explained as an example of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than ever, libraries today are faced with the question of how to make their services more attractive. Thus, it only seems logical to actively integrate users into the design process. The re-implementation of the KOBV Portal (http://portal.kobv.de), a regional search in the holdings of libraries in Berlin and Brandenburg, consistently follows the path of co-design. Users are regarded as development partners. The Berlin School of Library and Information Science acts as a project partner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to find out about experiences and expectations of library users and thus be able to raise funds as well as use them in a need-oriented way, the University Library Giessen conducted a representative survey. Due to the support of empirical educational research experts of Justus Liebig University (Professur für Empirische Bildungsforschung) who undertook the study in November 2013, neutrality as well as a professional quality of the questions and the ensuing evaluation were guaranteed. 5911 questionnaires were evaluated: printed textbooks and group study rooms came out to be on top of the students' wish list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different suppliers offer libraries the possibility of e-lending: Library users can 'borrow' e-books, e-music or e-papers. Similarly to the traditional borrowing of print media the users can now download a book for a certain loan period, place a hold on an e-book etc. The following article illustrates the problems of e-lending regarding minor users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the Alliance for Lifelong Learning the state of Baden-Württemberg promotes innovative forms of training and provides, among other things, a virtual learning environment based on ILIAS (German for 'Integrated Learning, Information and Work Cooperation System'). On that basis the public library of Ludwigsburg has designed its own learning platform which is adapted to its individual needs. Since mid-July 2013, library users have been able to gain access to language, business and computer courses with a valid library card, regardless of time and location. The article describes the framework of the Ludwigsburg project and gives an insight into its latest developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries and the activity of librarians show ethical implications in all their functional areas. This will be demonstrated by a couple of practical examples. Included are ethical conflicts and dilemmas with regard to collection building Internet access, and indexing as well as privacy and equal treatment or inclusion and integration of minorities. It will be demonstrated how important ethical reflections guided by standards of professional ethics are and how they facilitate to find appropriate problem solving. [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]

From time to time libraries are facing challenges, resulting from budget cuts, downsizing or demanding customer requests. Often it seems difficult to find solutions which will fit in with the everyday routine. The aim of this article is to show how the use of specific management tools (i.e. Lean Management or Service Engineering) can provide some help in the day-to-day work of a library. By introducing selected management tools, it is possible to identify and evaluate strengths and weaknesses. This can lead to the improvement or further development of library services even under difficult conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posed are the preliminary results of library census in the Russian Federation of 2010 to 2011. Given is the characteristic of the main indicators and problems of such an accounting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the users' point of view two aspects are essential for the quality of library online services. On the one hand, relevant content must be available. On the other hand, it should be simple and intuitive to find and to access this content. Therefore, the topics usability and usefulness are of great importance for libraries. This article describes how these two aspects can be evaluated and how libraries can use BibEval and PECI for assessments of their own services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a conference on library user expectations and library public services programs, held in Berlin, Germany, from March 4-6, 2013. Topics of discussion included the effect of innovations in information technology on learning and scholarship, open access publishing and institutional repositories, and the use of mobile device applications and electronic media in libraries.

The catalog code RDA will furnish some changes for the catalog of libraries, that are helpful for users. This progress will force also for the cataloguer and the formation, the design of the OPACs further development. For this purpose, the library Software must both be developed regarding cataloguing such as OPAC, what is shown by means of examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The academic library of "Hochschule für Gesundheit (hsg)", which was founded to form a branch of academic health professionals within the German health supply system in October 2009 in Bochum, shaped a "library development plan" in the beginning of 2010 as a strategic frame for elaborating the services but also including the hurdles and barriers and therefore reasons for changing some decisions. The plan is permanently communicated to university bodies, protagonist scientists and students. Furthermore an online user satisfaction and interests survey concerning collection, usability, web service and library building was initialized as an additional data fundament. Users also can give personal feedback because of the immediate vicinity to the library. A special services newsletter, which was launched after the survey, subject database analysis for scientists as well as curricular and individual library training courses (information literacy program) also preserve approach to the customers. After initial problems a high-quality collection of still important printed material as textbooks and research books together with e-books and e-Journals was built up. Databases are offered by DBIS and the federative medical search engine Medpilot of the "Zentralbibliothek für Medizin, Köln". Thus a strategic subject search is possible. By establishing the open source library management system Koha embedded in a resource discovery system (RDS) context the quick access to the up to 40,000 volumes limited print collection plus lots of electronic resources through an integrative user interface is achievable. As to the diversity of user groups web portal solutions for students (Moodle), academic staff, external users or corporate clients have to be considered. Library building with furnishing and basic technical devices, library user regulations and workflows are further strategic steps on the way to develop a normal academic library and a special library for the health sciences within the concept of the "Gesundheitscampus Bochum". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the 2012 conference of the Mikrofilmarchiv der deutschsprachigen Presse (Microfilm Archives of the German-Language Press), held at the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (German National Library, DNB) and focused on microfilm preservation and digitization of newspapers. Topics discussed included microfilming or digitization of print newspapers compared to digital preservation of e-papers, selection criteria for digitization, and reader attitudes to different media formats.

The article discusses a field report on providing support to users of the library system in Hesse, Germany, on online chat. The goal was to make the database and search engine more user-friendly and to meet the users´ demand for a search tool like Google. Other topics mentioned include statistics on how library users use new media, the role of QuestionPoint Widgets, and how libraries can use social media networks.

The article discusses the transition, challenges and strategies of public libraries to the digital age on the example of the Main Library of Vienna, Austria. The library improved its accessibility, created new working space for e-readers, and division into college-areas to improve their flexibility. Other topics mentioned were integration and presence of social media at the library, devolpment of digital choices such as ebooks, and the use of the internet at the library.

TNS Infratest Business Intelligence conducted an online survey amongst customers of the German National Library of Science and Technology (TIB, Hannover), Germany. The overall aim of this article is to show how to determine the library’s benefits expressed in monetary terms, both for the individual and for Germany as a center of scientific activity. For the first time, the so-called “contingent valuation” methodology was applied to a large scientific library in Germany. The case study shows the particular advantages and disadvantages of the methodology. It explains how monetary measurements of value can be expressed in terms of willingness to pay or willingness to accept compensation. This methodology can also be applied to public libraries, public or company internal information centers, or any other non-profit organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the interaction of users with RFID lending- and return machines based on observations from four German libraries. The results indicate that the interaction generally works well. Users demonstrated both calmness and routine in working with the machines. The article suggests four areas in which the interaction could benefit from further design improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse and compare the opening hours of 50 randomly selected university libraries in Austria, Germany, Canada and the USA. Thus we want to answer five concrete questions concerning opening hours, such as ''Is there a correlation between opening hours and size of a library?'' The study reveals for example that larger libraries have extended opening hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]