Library – Your diverse place to work

Public libraries are central institutions based on the principle of free access to information, a concept anchored in fundamental rights. They ensure free access to books, magazines, digital media and more, promote culture and education as well as the democratic exchange. As a “third place”, they offer an inviting, consumption -free environment. Public libraries support lifelong learning, the development of reading and media literacy and contribute to equal opportunities. They also offer a wide range of events and services. The library services are always aligned with the needs of a changing (city) society.

Find out more here.

Libraries receive their financial support from various providers, including the federal government, the federal states and the municipalities. In addition, foundations and bodies of public law can also be carriers of libraries.
The entertainment of a public library is one of the “voluntary tasks” of municipalities. Only a few federal states give state subsidies for the establishment and maintenance of a city or municipal library, so that the financing usually remains exclusively the matter of the municipality. You can get more information about the financial situation of the public libraries here .

For example, university libraries as scientific libraries: the sponsors of the university libraries is usually the respective federal state. Most of these libraries are financed by a household that comes from the budget of the federal state. This household is either set directly for the library and assigned it or is part of the total budget of the entire university.

The diversity of libraries in Germany is reflected in equally diverse funding opportunities. At the political level, libraries can receive support within the framework of educational, scientific and cultural funding lines. Both the European Commission and the federal and state governments offer specific funding programs for libraries. In addition, there are foundations under private law that, in accordance with their foundation's purpose, support projects in the area of ​​libraries or projects involving libraries.

Find out more here:

• bibliotheksportal.de
• Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

German libraries are integrated into a comprehensive network that offers both national and international cooperation opportunities. These diverse connections help share knowledge, optimize resources and strengthen the role of libraries on a global scale.

Networks: The important national networks include the DINI (German Initiative for Network Information) and the NFDI (National Research Data Infrastructure). The DINI promotes cooperation between university libraries at a national level, while the NFDI offers an infrastructure for dealing with research data. At the international level, Bi-International the exchange between German libraries and international partners, and Bibliotheca Baltica promotes cooperation with libraries in the Baltic Sea countries. In addition, German libraries can establish and maintain international relationships through city partnerships.

National associations: There are numerous national associations active in Germany that promote cooperation and the exchange of knowledge between libraries. These include the BID (Library & Information Germany), the dbv (German Library Association), the BIB (Information Library Professional Association), the VDB (Association of German Librarians), the DGI (German Society for Information and Knowledge), the ekz ( ekz.bibliotheksservice GmbH ), the Goethe-Institut and the IAML (International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centers).

International associations: At the international level, German libraries are represented by membership in various associations, including the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), which represents the library sector worldwide. EBLIDA (European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations) and LIBER (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche – Association of European Research Libraries) also play The NAPLE Forum (National Authorities on Public Libraries in Europe) also promotes exchange at the European level.