Wandel von Bibliotheksräumen und Angeboten

How should public libraries appear in the present age in Germany and which services must physical space offer to ensure that the libraries – enjoyed by children, youth and adults equally –remain attractive and frequented public places in the future?

From September of 2014 to April this year both the Frankfurt Public Library’s Central Children’s & Youth Library and the Bornheim Branch Library underwent extensive renovations after 30 years. Although both libraries have been well used since their 1984 opening, it was obvious that the concept of the facility and the services they provide would have to be changed. Hence, in Germany, the budget for public libraries is limited, the legal regulations strict and the range of authorizations, responsibilities and competencies of everyone involved quite complex.
 
Both libraries, which are located in the same building, were ceremoniously reopened on April 23, 2015. The presentation will give an impression of the planning, the implementation of the concept and the expectations that went with it. Based on what could be observed during the first months since the reopening, it’s now possible to make a critical assessment of what has transpired.


Michaela Staufer (Germany), Librarian
 
Michaela Staufer studied library science in Hamburg, Germany. Upon graduation, she served as Assistant Director of the Ahrensburg Public Library for eleven years from 1984 to 1995. From 1995 to 2013, she was Director of the Wetzlar Public Library, a medium-sized community in Hesse. Since April 2013, she is Head of the Department of Decentralized Libraries of the Frankfurt Public Library, a department consisting of 17 branch libraries.