Introduction or revision of library laws in the Länder and library developments in the era of digitisation
Through library laws, permanently safeguarding the foundation for a stable and innovative public library system as a crucial component of the educational and cultural infrastructure; actively reducing barriers to accessing culture and knowledge; making digital cultural and knowledge content from Germany permanently accessible, usable and experiential for everyone around the world; finding tools.
Introduction or amendment of library laws in Federal Länder
1- Hesse (library law amended and extended for five years, 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2020); Rhineland-Palatinate (law adopted in 2014); Schleswig-Holstein (February 2016, law discussed in Landtag (state parliament), entry into force scheduled for July 2016 = fifth state library law)
Library developments in the era of digitisation
2- German Digital Library (DDB), the central platform for culture and knowledge in Germany, also the central national aggregator for Europeana, the European Digital Library
3- Bavarikon: Bavarian portal for art, culture and regional studies, as well as digitisation concepts for the transmission of analogue cultural assets to other German Länder
4- Digitalisation of orphan works (Copyright Act, Article 61 et seqq.) and out of commerce works (Copyright Administration Act, Articles 13d und 13e) beginning in 2015
5- Library associations’ campaign for e-books in public libraries: “The Right to E-Read“
1 Library laws
- Entrenching libraries as a legal responsibility and consolidating them financially
- Creating the legal framework for further regulations in the area of libraries
2-5 Library developments in the era of digitisation
- Simplifying participation in cultural life; opening up cultural and knowledge content as extensively as possible for subsequent use, enrichment, and expansion (keeping it alive in collective memory)
- Strengthening the interconnectedness of German cultural and knowledge institutions
- Bringing together collections and metadata from museums, libraries, archives and audio-visual media; exchanging experiences, technologies, services
- Consulting on and determining digitisation concepts for the transmission of analogue cultural assets
- Users recognising DDB as a trustworthy source; DDB as a partner in international beacon projects: Europeana, Digital Public Library of America, World Digital Library
- Successfully and to a significant degree starting the digitisation of orphan and out of print works in the German National Library and the major archival libraries from 2015 onward
- Facilitating availability of e-books to be loaned from public libraries where necessary
1 Provided through funding bodies of the municipalities and the Länder
2 DDB operating costs 2011 to 2016: 2.6 million EUR per year, financed by the Federation and the Länder; infrastructure development from 2007 to 2014 financed by the Federation in the amount of approx. 8.5 million EUR