September 23, 2008
Public libraries in Spain. Dynamics 2001-2005
On Monday, Sept. 22 was presented in the press room of the Ministry of Culture's book 'The public libraries in Spain. 2001-2005 Dynamics' product of collaboration between the German Sanchez Ruipérez Foundation and the Ministry of Culture. The event was chaired by Culture Minister Cesar Antonio Molina, accompanied by the president of CEDAR Juan Moya and the director general of the Foundation Germán Sánchez Ruipérez Antonio Basanta, who summarized the contents of the play in an exhibition.
This study examines the reality librarian in Spain in the first half of the twenty-first century, has an electronic version available on the web 'bibliotecaspublicas.info' Supplementing the printed version and includes annexes dealing with the librarian Spanish legislation, services central and regional governments.
---> Automatically translated text by Google Translate. Version without links. See the original post in Spanish in Biblioblog.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: September 23, 2008
May 27, 2008
Castilla y León Public Libraries Portfolio of Services
This past May 14 was published in the Official Gazette of Castile and Leon order the approval of each of the letters of the nine services of the State Public Libraries and the Library of Castilla y Leon. The annexes include an excerpt from the same, also released a publication that will be available to citizens at the library. At each service charter specifies, among other information, contact details and location of the library, its services to citizens, the rules by which it governs, rights of citizens, the quality commitments assumed (expressed as a list of objectives to achieve tangible) and related indicators that will measure the degree of compliance with these commitments, as well as the ways in which citizens can participate in the improvement of library services.
---> Automatically translated text by Google Translate. Version without links. See the original post in Spanish in Biblioblog.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: May 27, 2008
May 21, 2008
Meeting Portuguese and Spanish on public libraries
On 20 and May 21, 2008 took place in Lisbon on 8th Meeting Luso Spanish Public Libraries. Since 1990 these days come sucediéndose professional cooperation, which are organized on an alternative by those responsible for the central administration in terms of libraries of Spain and Portugal. The topics are usually treated related to the situation of public and school libraries of both countries as well as experience building reader. The agenda of the meeting which ends today have participated professional Spanish and Portuguese, who have sought to cross-border cooperation, networking libraries, copyrights and loan payment in libraries, collaboration between public library and school and promotion of reading. Also, there has been the experience of twenty years of the programme of the National Network of Public Libraries in Portugal. This time the meeting has been open and free.
---> Automatically translated text by Google Translate. Version without links. See the original post in Spanish in Biblioblog.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Conferences Public libraries | Published: May 21, 2008
May 13, 2008
Innovation in public libraries
The magazine Professional information has dedicated his number March / April 2008 at public libraries. It is appreciated that publications like this, scientific rigor and international projection, chosen as the theme to cover public libraries, major centers of information dissemination. The special opens with an article by Roser Lozano, director of the Public Library of Tarragona, who offers an excellent summary of issues relating to innovation in library management. Fernando Juarez provides an eloquent text on social Web technologies and applied to libraries, giving the event of the Library of Muskiz, which is responsible. The innovation projects oriented users is the theme chosen by Jose Pablo Gallo, who explained the actions carried out in the Regional Library Murcia, which is the director. Jesus Maria Romera is the author of an article on innovation in services multicultarales of public libraries. In addition, among others, are included collaborations on projects and services of the Network of Public Libraries in Andalusia and on the Portal Biblioteques of the Generalitat of Catalonia. The magazine includes an interview with Maria Antonia Carrato, Assistant Director General for Policy Coordination Librarian librarian in Spain and another interview with John Lake, president of the Public Libraries Section of IFLA, on the adaptation of public libraries in the digital environment.
---> Automatically translated text by Google Translate. Version without links. See the original post in Spanish in Biblioblog.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries Serials | Published: May 13, 2008
March 17, 2008
Libraries of Castilla-La Mancha. Statistics 2006
The Department of Culture of Castilla-La Mancha has updated statistical data on its Network of Public Libraries. Since 1997 2005 data are disseminated from a specific server, which can be found in the statistical yearbook, the most significant data directory, public libraries, as well as data Overall from which one can hear the evolution of English-reading public Mancha. In summary, the data for 2006, the last published, yield a figure of 532 service outlets, of which 5 are state public libraries, 8 bibliobuses and the remaining 519 are for municipal libraries. The target population is 99%, providing a service station for every 3,632 inhabitants. With regard to infrastructure, the network has a post reading for every 75 inhabitants, while he was still a high percentage of the available facilities reduced, as the 42.3% have a smaller space of 100 m2. The degree of automation continues to grow, increased from 71.4% in 2003 to 85.9% in 2006. The same occurs with the number of libraries that have Internet connectivity, which has risen from 67.1% in 2003 to 88.7% in 2006. The data collections indicate that there are documents 2.67 per capita, having purchased in 2006 0.21 papers per capita spent on acquisitions and 2.19 euros per inhabitant. The number of loans per capita was 2.23 and 3.26 visits. In the network of public libraries in this community working 1,010 people, of whom 801 are library staff. Each library has an average of 1.9 librarians. The data developed, the comparative and other information of interest can be seen on estadisticasdebibliotecas.jccm.es.
---> Automatically translated text by Google Translate. Version without links. See the original post in Spanish in Biblioblog.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries Statistics | Published: March 17, 2008
February 26, 2008
How to keep the computer equipment in public libraries: the project MaintainIT
MaintainIT is a project of TechSoup, a non-profit organization that provides integrated resources to solve technology needs, and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is designed to share ideas and experiences among public libraries in the United States and Canada (focusing primarily in 18 states, which receive free upgrades software). The goal is to identify best practices in support of the public computers and share them with others, using the collective intelligence of professionals.
Its Web site can be found, as well as information about the project, in the short articles that librarians tell their stories, and cookbooks or recipe books. These are documents prepared by working groups and open licensed under Creative Commons, which contain "recipes" for the maintenance of computer equipment based on the ideas and feedback from the professionals. So far created two cookbooks, including one focused on the issue of libraries in rural areas, who tend to have less training, time and resources.
---> Automatically translated text by Google Translate. Version without links. See the original post in Spanish in Biblioblog.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: February 26, 2008
December 17, 2007
Users of public libraries in Cadiz
Sanlucar de Barrameda has hosted Days Municipal Library Community Accessibility and that the Foundation has organized Municipal Culture of the Provincial Council of Cadiz. The encounter took place between 13 and 15 December 2007 and was designed to offer professional municipal libraries. The program included presentations by experts from different centers librarians and universities. Among the experiences that were present were responsible for networks of public libraries as of Two Sisters, Jérez de la Frontera or San Roque. The days were presented library policies of the Board of Andalusia and Cooperation Plan with the Municipal Libraries and encouraging reading of the Provincial Council of Cadiz. Within this professional forum was presented the study profiles library users in the province of Cadiz, made from a questionnaire completed by 920 library users gaditanos 30 municipalities. The study is part of the scholarships Public Culture. Some of the data obtained in this study are that 59.33% of users are in the age group of between 16 and 25 years. At a rate of 43.8% of users surveyed went daily to the public library, being 44.7% also user university libraries. The service is the most used room, which has been selected by 86% of users, followed by access to the Internet, a 32.8% reading newspapers, a 28.2% and the loan , with a 26.3%. The survey also provides data collection and use of user satisfaction in relation to the localization of public libraries, their schedules, its funds, its staff or spatial conditions and equipment. For more information on this survey may contact the Library Services of the Provincial Council of Cadiz.
---> Automatically translated text by Google Translate. Version without links. See the original post in Spanish in Biblioblog.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: December 17, 2007
January 23, 2007
Family libraries in Vitoria
Six family libraries of Vitoria-Gasteiz Public Libraries Network (with a total of sixteen service points) are devoted to children from 0 to 14 years old, who must be ccompanied by an adult. This original experience was put into practice in 2004, with the opening of 4 service points. They have special furnitures and holdings adapted to children and materials like books, DVD, pictures, puzzles... The rules of these libraries are different: they try to create a relaxed atmosphere for playing, where people is allowed to read aloud. Moreover, the staff is specialized in children's audience, paying attention to reading promotion activities and parent's advice. The aim is to initiate children into reading beside their families.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: January 23, 2007
December 26, 2006
Public libraries in the 21st century
The Spanish publising house Trea has launched the book La biblioteca pública del siglo XXI: atendiendo clientes, movilizando personas (Public libraries in the 21st century: dealing with clients, mobilizing people), by Roser Lozano, manager of the Public Library in Tarragona. This new title will be a point of reference for librarians, as it deals with all the aspects that should be taken into account in the management of a modern public library. Roser Lozano has put in practice this contents in the library that she manages. Some of the themes in this monograph are change management, strategic planning, users or the quality of services. The book can be considered as a practical guide about libraries management as it gives information about how to give services, deal with users, or make tools like services lists or procedure guides.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: December 26, 2006
December 21, 2006
IFLA/UNESCO Internet Manifesto Guidelines
IFLA/UNESCO Internet Manifesto Guidelines have been recently published (as well as their translation to spanish) by the Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE). The Guidelines specify general principles held on the Manifesto by giving suggestions that try to help professionals of libraries and politicians. Its objective is to establish policies and practices for public access to information in public libraries. The contents of the Guidelines are arranged in 9 chapters: Principles of public access, Public libraries and other public access points, Users, Content, E-services, e-governance and e-democracy, Technological choices, Barriers, User training and Internet use policies.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: December 21, 2006
December 15, 2006
III Public Libraries National Meeting
The Spanish Department of Culture, through its Dirección General del Libro, Archivos y Bibliotecas (Department of Books, Archives and Libraries), in collaboration with the Autonomous Regions, Federación Española de Municipios y Provincias (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Counties) and several foundations and professional associations, has organized the III Public Libraries National Meeting, that has been held in Murcia on November the 29th and 30th and December the 1st, with the slogan “the public Library, a citizen’s space”. The programme has been organized in three working sessions: “Public library, a sphere of learning”, “Public library, new spheres, emerging services”, and “Public library and the digital environment” where different papers, round table conferences, and experiences, both national and international, have been presented. Current themes on public libraries like information literacy, innovative architecture, the emerging services or the digital age have been discussed. Conclusions can be downloaded from the Department of Culture web site Travesía.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: December 15, 2006
December 05, 2006
Balearic Libraries Law
The Balearic Islands, which didn't have an specific legislation for libraries before, have already a Libraries Law. The Law 19/2006 of November the 23rd for the library system in Balearic Islands covers the gap and establishes the basis for the creation and operation of the Balearic Libraries Network. The second title is devoted to Balearic Libraries System, integrated by Illes Balears Library, the Public Reading System, educational centers libraries (non-universities), university libraries, specialized libraries, and information centers. In the third title the Public Reading System is developed according to the Balearic Public Reading Map, island central libraries, city central libraries, reading rooms and public reading support services. Another important point in this law is the obligation for municipalities over 2,000 inhabitants to support a library.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: December 05, 2006
March 07, 2006
Endowment for public libraries
The Ministerio de Cultura (Culture Department), as it was planned in the Plan for Reading Promotion for 2005-2006, where it was announced an extraordinary plan for the bibliographic endowment in public librares, that would allow them to reach the international indicators set by the IFLA/UNESCO (at least 1.5 books per inhabtant), has reached an agreement with the Autonomous Communities (CCAA) in order to provide 9.6 million Euros for the acquisitions of bibliographic holdings. They will be distributed according to the inhabitants in each CCAA. Regions will provide a similar figure. In order to carry on this initiative it as been created a working group formed by Autonomous Communities in charge of libraries and the Ministerio. To guarantee the observance of the agreement, there is a commission joined by the Admnistración General del Estado, the Autonomías and the Federación Española de Municipios y Provincias, as it was said in a ministerial press release.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: March 07, 2006
January 03, 2006
Latin American Public Libraries Journal
It is already on-line the 18 issue of Correo de Bibliotecas Públicas Latinoamericanas, from October to December 2005. This journal has become the means of spreading for the activity in public libraries in Latin America. As it was done in previous times, in that issue it is given information about national and international events. Moreover, in its news section, it spreads the most important activities made in diverse Latin American countries. In a separated section, it is offered information about plans related to public libraries. Lastly, it offers summaries of printed and electronic publications in that matter.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries Publications and documents | Published: January 03, 2006
December 22, 2005
Public Libraries in Extremadura
The Observatory for Reading and Book in Extremadura, which is developed inside the Pacto Extremeño por la lectura (Extremadura Agreement for Reading), has updated its directory of public libraries in Extremadura. That directory, integrated by 440 libraries and reading agencies, gives practical information about abou the identification and location of those libraries. It includes a section with the 2004 statistical data for each one of the libraries, related to the number of users, holdings, loans, and visits. Each one of the index cards has a form through which the information can be filled out or corrected, and pictures about the library can be sent as well. Moreover, the Observatory offers monographic journals, private documents and external resources. It also offers a selection of links about books, reading and libraries.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: December 22, 2005
September 28, 2005
The Public libraries in Spain
The First Meeting about Libraries and Municipalities: The local government, libraries in Democracy, has been held during the 21, 22 and 23 in September, in Peñaranda the Bracamonte (Salamanca). A hundred and a half profesional, and politic responsibles on public libraries in, have exchanged their experiences and have spent the three days discussing about the position of the municipal public libraries.
The last day of the meeting, the conclusions of the “Report about the position of public libraries in Spain” were set out. The report can be downladed in PDF format in the next adresses:
http://travesia.mcu.es/informe.asp and
http://www.bibliotecaspublicas.info
The report has been elaborated by the Department of Researches and Analysis of the Fundación Germán Sánchez Ruipérez and the Subdepartment of Librarian Cooperation.
It was made from the data in the statistical server about public libraries, supported by the Department of Culture.
The report proves a constant improvement, in quantity as in cuality, of the Public Libraries services in Spain during the fisrt years of the XXI century. More than 100 libraries are opened every year, reachin the 4.619 service points in 2003. Despite that, the improvement is not uniform in the whole country, and the growing of the number of libraries is being limited by two facts: the high rate (by 40%) of buildings with less than 100m2 of surface, and less of 20 hours of opening a week (by 47%).
The availiable holdings have also increased in those years, to reach 50.2 millions of availiable documents, by 1.18 books per inhabitant. The collections are still basically composed by printed books (by 92%), although in most of the libraries we can see a growing in the number of other materials as audiovisual and electronic on-line resources.
There were 20 Spanish counties that had more than 1.5 books per inhabitant, (thas is the UNESCO recommendation). In the autonomous regions that rate was reached in Navarra, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Asturias and País Vasco, in 200. Now, if the collections increase, is because of the annual acquisitions (by 3.2 millions of volumes in 2003, by 81% of those were books), and because of the absence of renewal of the holdings.
The population’s response to the improvement of the librarian services, specially in cities and villages where the libraries have been modernized and that are near of european standards, has been translated in a greater number of visitors and users.
Public libraries registered more than a million of citizens, reachin 8.5 millions of users, one of each five people in 2003. During that year, pubic libraries had 76.5 millions of visits (by 23.1% more than in 2002), and they made 44.7 million of loans (by 23.4% more than in 202).
The report, that gives data by counties, emphasizes over Castilla-La Mancha, and Castilla y León, as they has the highest rate of loans per inhabitant, doubling the Spanish average, that was by 1.05 loans per inhabitant in 2003. Among the eleven counties with more than a million of inhabitants, only Barcelona and Asturias overcomed the national average, with 1.83 and 1.53 loans per inhabitant respectivelly.
Despite of that, the worrying data are in the chapter about expenditures in public libraries, and how they are funded. Although the average expenditures per inhabitant has gone from 4.27€ in 2000, to 6.36€ in 2003, important imbalances can be seen. So, the total expenditure per inhabitant was by 10.06€ in Castilla-La Mancha in 2003, overcoming in 8€ the figure for Cataluña, Madrid, País Vasco y Castilla y León. In the other hand, the figure for Aragón, La Comunidad Valeenciana, Canarias, Murcia and Andalucian was under 5€ per inhabitant, being under the 4€ for Baleares and Galcia.
The improvement of the staff and in the growth of the basic expenditureshas had an influence in the moderated growth of the investments in libraries has had an influence in. At the same time, the budget for acquisitions become stabilized. Of the 254.4 millions of Euros, that summed the total expenditures in public libraries in Spain in 2003, by 70.4 %, cames from funds of local corporations, a percentage that has been growing in the current years (it was by 67.3% in 2002, and by 62.5% in 2001. It makes sense if we think that it is a local public service, and the City Councils are the holders of about 96% of the Spanish public libraries. The economical contribution of the Comunidades Autónomas has decreased from 35% in 2000, to 29.7% in 2003. The funding in the Comunidades Autónomas goes (by 85.1%) to those libraries that are responsibles of their own management (only by 3.6% of the Spanish public libraries), and the rest of the budget is allocated for the City Councils to give the services they have to.
In the figure for the local corporations, the involvement of the Diputaciones provinciales, cabildos and consejos insulares in the funding of public libraries, is so limited. In Spain, the diputaciones prvided 8.7% of the expenditures generated for public libraries in 2003, but it is located noy many counties, by 75% of all that, is only for Barcelona. The others, with quite smaller figures, are distributed among the counties in Castilla y León (that are managers of the bibliobus services), the island counties, and Extremadura.
Permanent link: P.URL | Category: Public libraries | Published: September 28, 2005
