German Libraries: A Portrait - Library Types

The Institute for Newspaper Research (Institut für Zeitungsforschung / IfZ) in Dortmund collects historical and contemporary newspapers and magazines from German-speaking countries.More ...

German literature archives preserve the manuscripts of leading authors, as well as diaries, fan mail, publishing contracts, souvenirs and film documents.More ...

“Open Bookshelves” is what they call those small libraries that are to be found out on the streets in German towns. Anybody can come along and either donate or borrow a book. They are open day and night and they have an ever-changing selection of books.More ...

Children and young people have their own, quite distinct set of needs when it comes to libraries. Ute Hachmann (Brilon Municipal Library) and Susanne Brandt (Westoverledingen Community Library), who are both members of the DBV (German Library Association) group of experts on libraries for children and young people, explain what these needs are.More ...

In the digital world archives are taking the opportunity to make their treasures accessible worldwide over the Internet. We spoke to Professor Hartmut Weber, President of the Federal Archive, about the new challenges.More ...

Even if they could be greatly improved from a professional point of view, libraries in small communities nevertheless have one invaluable advantage – they are situated centrally and can thus be easily reached by their users.More ...