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A library is an authentic place Public Libraries Services in the modern information society-
How new trends are followed in the Maribor Public Library, Maribor, Slovenia Barbara Kovář 1. INTRODUCTION This decade is marked by the vision of information society development, since already the '90s of the previus century strongly indicated the passage from the industrial into the post-industiral and information age. The possibility of establishing contacts with the help of information technology and communications, the internet, globalization and the tendency towards equal union and co-operation on all the levels are the facts which have influenced also public libraries. They are changing into information and cultural centres of the local environment and are accessible and open for all public segments, under the same conditions. For many years various European integrations have dealt with the transition into the information age on all levels (also in public libraries), and have prepared plans and programmes for the future so-called e-Europe. Also different European library projects (PubliCa - Public Libraries Concerted Action, Pulman - Public Libraries Mobilising Advanced Networks) in the frame of the European Commision have linked European public libraries and strengthened the awareness of thier role in the future. "The 122 million registered users of public libraries in 29 countries of Europe (LibEcon) attest to the importance and impact of public libraries in society. To realise their full potential in the digital era, public libraries must be prepared to offer new and innovative digital services that empower citizens to successfully achieve their personal goals in a changing world and to contribute to a cohesive society and a successful knowledge-based economy in Europe" is stated in the introduction of the Pulman project, the public libraries development guidelines in the future digital era. The Pulman project ended in March 2003 with the European public libraries conference in Oeiras, Portugal. Ministers, high-level policy makers and practitioners from 36 European countries unanimously accepted the Oeiras Manifesto and the Action Plan, which comprise development priorities of European public libraries and call upon all participating countries within a specified timeframe to take up the proposed actions at the national and local levels. Also Slovene Minister of Culture participated in the final conference of the Pulman project. 2. SLOVENE PUBLIC LIBRARIES In the Republic of Slovenia there are over 190 municipalities. There are 60 public libraries managing the network of 186 local libraries and 10 bibliobuses with 608 stops. The municipalities are the founders of Slovene public libraries and are responsible for their financing; the Ministry of Culture contributes part of the funds for library material purchase, investment (adaptation and building of new library facilities) and individual projects (purchase of computers and communication technology, national projects etc.). All public libraries are members of the Co-operative Online Bibliographic System and Services. Today Cobiss links more than 260 Slovene libraries of different types into a library information system, with "online" mutual cataloguing, common bibliographic and catalogue database Cobib, local databases of the participating libraries, library loan, access to various databeses (SwetScan, OCLC etc.) and other functions of the virtual library. Cobiss is financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. In 2001, the new Library Law was passed. Years 2002 and 2003 are marked with creating and issuing sub-law documents; also updated standards for public libraries are being prepared. The Law introduces also a network of regional libraries, which will perform additional tasks in their regions. The initial phase of establishing e-points in public libraries is successful, which is a result of co-operation between the Ministry of Information Society and Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia. The National Culture Programme, which should be completed and ratified by the end of November, determines general priorities of the culture policy for 2004-2007 as well as concrete objectives and actions in the individual areas of culture. It also defines financial investments of the state into individual areas of culture by 2007. The objectives and actions, necessary for the future development of Slovene public libraries, have been precisely determined as well – among them is development of public libraries into local and cultural centres, expansion of computer and communication infrastructure, introduction of special tasks for regional libraries, encouraging of acquisition and distribution of electronic publications etc. In 2003, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has adopted the Strategy of the Republic of Slovenia in the information society, which recognizes libraries as extremely appropriate and important institutions where the internet access points, open for public, could be located in order to educate for information society and to provide the information society services to all citizens. Although there are still problems with financing public libraries in certain municipalities and within the Ministry of Culture as well as with employing additional staff and acquiring appropriate library facilities, the awareness of the importance of public libraries in the information society has strenghthened both at the national and local levels. Therefore it is possible to predict gradual stabilization of the situation in the following years. However, the future development and transition into the information society both depend on stability of economic development of the country, balancing of the social policy in the following years and the cultural level of the society in general. In spite of the unstable financing, lack of human resources and adequate facilities, Slovene public libraries decided for new directions already in 90`s of the previous century.They have become local information centres, and beside providing their users with the library material and information, they have been developing numerous other services for various target groups of users - children, adolescents, adults, the retired, unemployed etc. The following are examples of such successful services in some of Slovene public libraries: The Section of Public Libraries, the Section of Mobile Libraries (both are active in the frame of the Union of Associations of Slovene Librarians) and the Association of Slovene Public Libraries are associations which organize and perform common projects for all Slovene public libraries, such as annual meetings of Slovene public libraries representatives, annual meetings and presentations of Slovene mobile libraries, Slovene Public Libraries Day (the 20th November), common purchase of electronic databases for all public libraries, their promotion etc. Thus contacts between librarians are closer, we can follow the development of public libraries abroad and participate in international projects, acquire knowledge in various areas of library science and others (information technology, project work, communications, marketing and promotion etc.). At the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana it is possible to study also library science on the university level. To perform all the necessary services for the citizens it is necessary for libraries to have adequate facilities. In the recent years, several Slovene public libraries have moved into modern and attractive buildings with functionally appropriate interior. At the same time individual libraries have managed to renovate their facilities - for example the libraries in Nova Gorica, Novo mesto, Kobarid, Maribor (the Sentilj Library), Ptuj and elsewhere. By acquiring suitable premises with interior designed according to the library standards, and at the same time by developing a variety of services for their users, Slovene public libraries have gradually become modern local information centres, ready to face the challenges of modern times and technology of the information society. 3. How new trends are followed in the Maribor Public Library Maribor is the second biggest town in Slovenia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the country, 15 km from the border with Austria and has 180.000 inhabitants. It is university town with nine faculties, a college, the most modern university library in Slovenia and a great public library. Already in the 60's of the previous century Maribor librarians accepted a long-term development plan of public libraries in Maribor. They laid firm foundations for development of a wide library network and library information system. Already back then they were aware that in modern world a public library is an instrument of permanent learning, an important factor for creating awareness, an information centre in a local area, a meeting point and a place for socializing of local people, open for all segments of the public, under the same conditions. The Library is financed by local municipalities; the Ministry of Culture contributes a share for library material and individual Library projects on the basis of tenders. Regarding their age, the Library visitors could be divided into several target groups: The Library membership is free of charge. The membership card is valid in all the Library branches. The key element of the Library's corporate design is an owl with a book; numerous other variants of the logo symbolize individual services or activities of the Library. In the 80's of the 20th century the Maribor Public Library has adopted the guidelines of new era and the information society technology as well as its users' expectations - the vision of the Maribor Public Library development was created. The vision of the Maribor Public Library: -- Creating information centres in local areas, offering all kinds of library material (books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, toys etc.) and information acquired from the material inside or outside of the library, Cobiss and other electronic databases on different media, internet etc. In the recent five years, besides our regular and basic activities (loan of the library material, providing information and organizing many events), new services for our users were developed in the light of InfoOwl - The Youth Information Centre. It is based in one of the Maribor Public Library Branches (the Nova vas Library), which covers the area of Maribor where about 30.000 people live. The Centre is intended for the users aged 15 plus. They meet in the library and together with the librarian - the head of the centre they decide on the activities. The visitors can surf the Internet in a special "cyber" space, they can listen to and borrow CDs, they work on their school papers or prepare for tests and exams, participate in organization of concerts, literary evenings, round panels and workshops, which take place every month. There are groups of mountaineers, bikers, "bookworms"; they can get free lessons or meet new friends or simply browse the bookshelves and flip through magazines. The Information Centre has close contacts with other similar institutions linked in an information network. The University for senior citizens - A library cycle is a learning programme for the elderly and / or retired who still wish to acquire new knowledge, dedicate more time to their hobbies or just socialize. From September to June regular monthly meetings are organized - lectures on different topics, such as music, psychology, travel, botanics etc. The Library Cycle members can take part in about 20 different study circles dedicated to languages, painting, design, theurapeutic exercices for women, bridge and many others. Meetings take place in several branches. Twice a year an excursion is organized for the members. Each year in September the head of the Library Cycle together with the members prepares a programme of the activities. These are partly financed by the members of the Cycle; the library on the other hand provides the mentors, facilities and contributes for the material costs. Personal service to the Home - is a special form of library activities intended for those who due to physical handicap, illness or age cannot visit the library. The origins of this service are connected with the local Health Centre and the Social Centre which helped us to reach our target groups. The activities are led by a skilled librarian who is experienced in work with such groups of people. She visits them twice a week at their homes, brings requested books, magazines or articles with her. Thus an important and (for many of these clients) a very rare contact with the outside world is maintained.
Personal Service to the Hospital - After several months of discussions with the management of the Maribor General Hospital a project of personal service (loan of the library material) for the patients in some hospital wards was prepared and organized. A librarian, based at the Tabor Library (which is located close to the Hospital), visits the patients twice a week. After they become Library members, they are provided with the requested library material on a regular basis. The aim of this service is to: Mobile library material collections: Mobile library material collections are located in different institutions and are intented for those people who cannot come to libraries themselves. At the moment there are such collections in a retirement home and at the Psychiatry Ward of the Maribor General Hospital. The loan is performed by a librarian of the Maribor Public Library and the staff of the institutions. The collections are changed twice a year. Free information from various electronic databases - The users are provided with free help with collecting information from various electronic databases in the areas such as law, economy, education. A vast number of documents with complete texts and bibliographic databases with important information sources for all the previously mentioned fields are available.
Information Point of the Council of Europe - According to the agreement with the Information and Documentation Centre of the Council of Europe with the National and University Library in Ljubljana, the Tabor Library has become one of the information points of the Council of Europe in Slovenia.The information material on the Council of Europe is available in the library; however, more detailed inoformation about the bodies, conventions and activities of this international organization can be found on the homepage of the Information and Documentation Centre of the Council of Europe. Free access to the Internet and assistance is available for the members of the Library. There is also a permanent window display in which current material of the Council of Europe is presented. -- Computer litteracy programmes for the elderly - During the computer litteracy programme smaller groups of retired citizens become familiar with the world wide web and the ways of finding information via the Maribor Public Library home page. Local and Slovene catalogues are used to search for information or library material which is of the users' interest. The programme is designed according to the level of computer litteracy of each group. -- Computer litteracy programmes for high school students - the programmes for groups of high school students contain presentation of various ways of collecting material in the local electronic catalogue of the Library and locating the material in the Library; presentation of electronic databases and collecting information about a specific topic; a review of the Maribor Public Library home page as an acceess to various information on the Internet etc. The programmes are designed according to the level of students' computer litteracy and in co-operation with their teachers Electronic reference service "Ask a Librarian" enables children, students and adults to contact librarians via the Maribor Public Library home page and ask them for help with finding information or references for seminary papers or a thesis, to enquire about library membership rules, or send their opinion. All the enquiries are answered in two working days the latest. An electronic database (an archive of frequently asked questions and answers), designed on the basis of key words, has been created as a result of this service. The Maribor Public Library home page - Library web sites have become one of key information services, aimed at different groups of users. Some of important documents, collections, links and services available are: -- Acess to electronic catalogues of Slovene libraries and local electronic catalogue of the Maribor Public Library, which enables library material enquiries, information about the borrowed library material for each member and renewal of the borrowed material. Special services for children in the Maribor Public Library are also:
-- The playroom for the young - pre-school children who do not visit a kindergarten or nursery school can spend one morning a week in the main children's library; under a librarian's guidance they discover interesting books, listen to fairy tales or have a chance to be creative in a number of ways. Such wide spectrum of library services demands also bigger and modern facilities, adequate interior and equipment, a computer and communication network and much more - all that primarily to satisfy various needs of library visitors. By developing individual services we have therefore also renovated the library facilities as much as our financial situation allowed us to. In last ten years, two new libraries were added to our network; we moved or renovated nine units and replaced the old mobile library with a modern bibliobus, equipped also with computers. All libraries are supported by a common computer net; librarians and users have access to electronic information of the Cobiss system, the Internet and other electronic databases. A closer look at some of the newest library units in the Maribor Public Library network reveals that they are mainly libraries in municipality centres or parts of the city of Maribor. With their modern facilities, equipped according to latest library standards, as well as with their services they ensure access to all the material, information and services for all members of local communities or city districts. All our libraries are public Internet access points, registered by the state. In some library units special services for different groups of users are organized (computer litteracy programmes, the University for Senior Citizens, activities for teenagers, events and exhibitions in co-operation with local community, assistance with searching for information from electronic databases etc.); there are reading rooms, quiet corners where it is possible to sit down with a book and relax, play-rooms for children and much more. The Maribor Public Library - The Sentilj Library is a municipality library, located in Sentilj, a town very close to the border with Austria. It services the area with about 8400 inhabitants. Since 2002, the library facilities with surface of 240 m2 are in a new municipality building in the very centre of the town. Access for invalids is available. The Maribor Public Library - The Duplek Library: since 2000 it has been located in the centre of the Duplek municipality and covers the area with 6200 people. It is the information centre of the municipality; since the present surface of the library facilities (100 m2) is not sufficient, plans for extension are being prepared. Numerous events, workshops (painting on glass, Easter egg decoration...) are organized by the library. Because of huge interest of the local people events sometimes take place in the village hall. The Maribor Public Library - The Tezno Library is located in one of Maribor city districts. Its facilities are spread on the surface of 400 m2 and the library services the area with 17.000 inhabitants. Access for invalids is available. The Maribor Public Library - The Nova vas Library, for adult users, and The Maribor Public Library - The Nova vas Children's Library, for users aged under 15, are both in one of Maribor's districts. The two libraries with the surface of 1000 m2 cover the area with 30.000 people. Access for invalids is available. Mobile library - Since 1974 the Maribor Public Library mobile has provided service to numerous towns and villages in the Maribor area. In 1987 the first vehicle was replaced with a new one, and after ten years of intensive use, the third mobile library vehicle was delivered on May 1998. It was built and designed according to up-to-date European mobile library standards, including computer equipment and access to the Cobiss system. In September 2001, at the meeting of European bibliobuses, the Maribor Public Library mobile was awarded with a title -Bibliobus of the year 2001-. The Maribor Public Library - The Rotov- Library - the main branch of the Maribor Public Library is located in inadequate facilities and shares the building with the Maribor Puppet Theatre. Although the premises are in the heart of Maribor, their 400 m2 are not sufficient for numerous services being performed or led (from) there - for example assistance with searching for information from electronic databases, computer litteracy programmes; the main library is also a base for the Personal Service to the Home and electronic reference service "Ask a Librarian" as well as for many others. The main library is visited by the biggest number of users (130.000) in the Maribor Public Library network; they borrow about 230.000 library material units and are provided with about 8300 more complex pieces of information. The library is open every week day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. as well as on Saturdays morning. Main problems in the Maribor Public Library (and also in other public libraries in Slovenia) are still financial; there is also a lack of adequate facilities and shortage of expert staff, on top of that, employing is very limited. Some municipalities do not recognize the importance of a modern public library for their community, and in spite of the Library Law, which fully recognizes and defines the role of local public libraries, that is not enough. Therefore negotiations between libraries and municipalities can be sometimes very long and demanding - fortunately, in many areas they end successfully. However, we are pleased to be able to say that at the state level the awareness of significance of public libraries in modern society is growing stronger. Literature: |