Library
Etymology:
– Term “library” based on Latin word “liber” for book
– Latin “libraria” means collection of books
– Latin “librarium” means container for books
– Modern languages use derivations from Ancient Greek “bibliothēkē”
– Examples include French “bibliothèque” and German “Bibliothek”
History:
– Libraries began with efforts to organize collections of documents
– First libraries had clay tablets in cuneiform script
– Private libraries with written books appeared in classical Greece
– Great libraries of Mediterranean world were in Constantinople and Alexandria
– Libraries of Timbuktu established in fourteenth century
Functions:
– Libraries provide physical or digital access to material
– Libraries can be physical, virtual, or both
– Libraries offer services of librarians
– Libraries provide quiet and common areas for studying
– Libraries may serve as community hubs for lifelong learning
Services:
– Libraries offer various services such as information services
– Services may be described as library services or information services
– Libraries extend services beyond physical walls through electronic means
– Different institutions define library and information services differently
– Libraries provide access to electronic resources like computers and the Internet
Clientele:
– Users of public libraries have different needs from academic libraries
– Libraries may also be special libraries catering to specific needs
– Library clientele and services offered vary based on type
– Libraries may offer programs for lifelong learning
– Modern libraries provide material accessible electronically
Architecture:
– Library buildings provide quiet and common areas for studying
– Libraries may have public facilities for electronic resource access
– Libraries offer group study and collaboration spaces
– Libraries may be organized and maintained by various entities
– Libraries can vary widely in size and services offered
A library is a collection of books, and possibly other materials and media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or digital (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location, a virtual space, or both. A library's collection normally includes printed materials which may be borrowed, and usually also includes a reference section of publications which may only be utilized inside the premises. Resources such as commercial releases of films, television programmes, other video recordings, radio, music and audio recordings may be available in many formats. These include DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, cassettes, or other applicable formats such as microform. They may also provide access to information, music or other content held on bibliographic databases.
Libraries can vary widely in size and may be organised and maintained by a public body such as a government, an institution (such as a school or museum), a corporation, or a private individual. In addition to providing materials, libraries also provide the services of librarians who are trained experts in finding, selecting, circulating and organising information while interpreting information needs and navigating and analysing large amounts of information with a variety of resources.
Library buildings often provide quiet areas for studying, as well as common areas for group study and collaboration, and may provide public facilities for access to their electronic resources, such as computers and access to the Internet.
The library's clientele and general services offered vary depending on its type: users of a public library have different needs from those of a special library or academic library, for example. Libraries may also be community hubs, where programmes are made available and people engage in lifelong learning. Modern libraries extend their services beyond the physical walls of the building by providing material accessible by electronic means, including from home via the Internet.
The services that libraries offer are variously described as library services, information services, or the combination "library and information services", although different institutions and sources define such terminology differently.