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The paper traces the history, including legislation, of the libraries of the State archives, born, often thanks to the will and tenacity of the directors who, through a capillary correspondence network with the cultural institutions of the national territory, fleshed out the newly erected libraries with volumes as a gift or obtained through exchanges of book doubles. The purchase on the antiquarian market and from private citizens of single volumes but also of entire book collections, important for reconstructing the history - including literary history - of the territory of competence, makes these libraries unique in their kind. Established for the updating of archivist officials and to allow them to study, reorganize and inventory documentary collections, over time they have changed their mission by expanding the audience of consultation to external users but only if they are unable to find publications in other libraries. To date, despite boasting a library heritage of a certain importance and often unique, they are managed in the absence of personnel in the role of librarian with all the problems that this entails in terms of cataloguing, planning of purchases and assistance for bibliographic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper illustrates the results of a survey conducted in the period January-February 2023 involving the users of the Turin Public Libraries, an urban system currently affected by a significant strategic rethinking process. Through the analysis of the answers to questionnaire provided by 3,926 people, it was possible to bring to light the complexity and the multidimensionality of the act of reading and to gather interesting information on three central issues: the process that leads readers to choose the book; the libraries' role in fostering and enriching the reading experience; the complementarity between book and other form of access to narrative world, both outside and within libraries. These cognitive elements can help both to improve the collection development policies and to favor the meeting between readers and collections, also through their integrated and transmedial organization within an enriched physical and virtual bibliographic space, which stimulates and enhances the reading experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a new methodological approach to collection evaluation in public libraries, with the aim to read bibliographic and usage data in a less self-referential way and to improve collection development and management. Behind this approach there are two integrated types of analysis. The first one is a quantitative and qualitative benchmarking between different library collections: the attention focuses on the size of collections, the variety, the publishers, the subjects, the circulation data. The second type of analysis concerns the benchmarking between library collections and editorial production. Also in this case, the comparison covers the quantitative aspects (number of books selected by libraries and number of books published), the qualitative aspects (subjects, types of documents, Conspectus levels) and the usage data (loans and sales). The paper illustrates the results of a first and experimental application of this methodological approach for the analysis of collection portions of 26 public libraries (belonged to two Italian library systems), that are compared with the editorial production of the subject area Social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conference "Measuring and evaluating libraries: was it worth it? Changes, impacts and narratives from 30 years' common work" looked back at over three decades of applied library research, aiming at reporting about different assessment experiences, and outlining new potential perspectives for the future of library evaluation. This paper provides a summary of the conference, reporting the most significant passages of all the speakers' contributions, and concludes by individuating in the collaborative and co-planning dimension a key to future developments in library evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to focus on the importance of investigating the value and weight given to libraries by politicians, decision-makers and administrators within their political and administrative activities. The article proposes a reflection on the value given to libraries by some Italian policymakers and a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the presence of libraries within the electoral programs of the Italian local elections (autumn 2021-spring 2022). This study has made it possible to construct a map of the positioning of libraries in the mind of politics. This fact is essential for understanding the context from which librarians and researchers can start to change the perception, often simplistic, of policymakers about libraries, to make them understand the impact that libraries can have on society, and to identify effective and efficient strategic actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world of publishing distribution has increasingly become an object of interest for both industrial production and the readers. The recent past showed that books must be selected carefully not only by bookshop managers for their buyers, but also by libraries for their users. Libraries themselves are examined in their relation with publishing distribution: the paper presents an initial analysis of the process enacted to pursue the goal that each individual title may fruitfully contribute to the growth of the whole library collection. The research considers only the acquisition of print monographs from some of the most important suppliers of both public and academic libraries; with these vendors it was possible to entertain a crucial and essential direct discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A careful study of the two prologues to Origen's collection of texts and of Gregory of Nazianzus' letter to Theodore of Tyana (ep. 115) indicates that the collection was originally an anonymus compilation (συλλογή or ἐκλογή). Gregory writes that the book he gives to Theodore contains «extracts from the φιλοκαλία of Origen». He uses the word φιλοκαλία to refer to the whole of Origen's work in favorable terms, just as Eusebius of Caesarea writes «φιλοκαλία of Irenaeus» (kephalaion H.e. V 26) to designate the entire work of lrenaeus. Basil and Gregory are not the authors of a collection called Φιλοκαλία, but the readers of an anonymous compilation of texts which Gregory presents as extracts from «the work of great beauty (φιλοκαλία) of Origen». The paper also examines the origin, dating, place of composition, structure, and aims of this anonymous compilation as well as the reasons for its attribution to the two Cappadocians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents Peter Johan Lor’s book, International and comparative librarianship: concepts and methods for global studies (Berlin; Boston: De Gruyter Saur, 2019). As a result of a long research, the book shows the origins and the evolution of international and comparative librarianship as fields of study and research; it explains professional literature development on the subject; it deals with methodological aspects in terms of approaches, techniques and tools of comparison intended as a research strategy to analyze influences, divergences and consonances between different library contexts. Lor’s book is an opportunity for theoretical study but also a working tool, thanks also to the numerous examples that concern different geographic areas of the world and types of library as well as a variety of themes, functions and services. For its systematic approach, completeness and accuracy it is the most updated reference point for comparative studies, especially for library contexts, such as the Italian one, that are still too poor in reflections and real applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of Genoan libraries belonging to the professional associations offers the opportunity to refocus the attention on private specialized libraries. The book collections of the professional associations are made up of often underestimated and/or unexploited bibliographic heritages that, in most cases in Genoa, have gone missing. The paper highlights the critical aspects of a nonprofessionalized management that is not aware of the value represented by documentary materials of specific orientation that have settled over time. At the same time, the potentialities that such book collections could play in local and national documentary networks are assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wikipedia Library (TWL) is an international project supported by Wikimedia Foundation, which aims to provide library and reference services to Wikipedia editors and readers; this is making possible the direct access to bibliographic references which support "all human knowledge". The Wikipedia Library is pursuing ambitious goals through the partnership with scientific publishers and services like the Internet Archive. The success of this young project comes from partnership and collaboration with expert librarians. This paper explains technical solutions, projects and TWL partnerships, which lead great advantages for Wikipedians, readers, and librarians and which prelude an integration even more close between Wikipedia and libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an overview of the different forms of collaboration between the libraries and the world of Wikimedia. The article shows the many points of convergence between the librarians and the wikimedians. It describes the Wikipedia Library, the campaign #1Lib1Ref, the Libraries Project of Wikimedia Italia, the activities carried out in this area by BNCF and other Italian libraries. With regard to the reuse of bibliographic data, the contribution focuses on Wikidata and on WikiBib and WikiCite projects. The article finally explains the role of wikipedians in residence and describes the digital collections uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years Italian libraries and public/private cultural institutions have organized several workshops on manuscripts and ancient books, specifically addressed to children and teenagers. The paper analyzes these educational activities paying particular attention at the different locations where the workshops took place and at the different skills of the professionals involved in each project. The paper then focuses on the opportunity to shape specific educational projects taking into consideration the specific target of these activities as well as their significance, as for the younger public this could be the first -- and perhaps unique -- chance to approach the libraries' historical collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the evolution of libraries electronic catalogs evidencing the new technologies of the Semantic Web and Linked Data. The essay is divided into two distinct parts. In the first part starting from critical analysis of the new generation of OPAC functional model and discovery tools proposes the need for a revision of current development paradigm that accepting the theories of information behaviour can be based on the user, on its information needs, its behaviours, and on the analysis of components that takes part of search information process. In the second part of next publication will explore the possibility that Linked Data may be the most appropriate technology to build up new OPAC based on output of knowledge within the information process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many professionals who work in the library field agree that nowadays the Italian library system is experiencing a state of discomfort. There's a lack of resources essential to manage the everyday activities - and perhaps if there were plentiful resources libraries wouldn't really know how to use them, in order to improve their services. Assuming that cooperation is the right solution for enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of library services, a path was conceived to overcome this situation. The project was structured in three steps: first there was a consultation with the researchers who - in 2001 - published the study Le professionalità operanti nel settore dei Servizi culturali: le Biblioteche lombarde (“Professionals operating in cultural services: the libraries of Lombardia"), then international benchmarking was carried out, and finally some library specialists were interviewed. The project pointed out the opportunity of creating a new system that may serve as well library networks as single libraries. This paper presents the first part of the research, i.e. a summary of the activities carried out by libraries and library networks, and the project to achieve their further integration in a “network of networks", exploring also unconventional resources as time banking. The five library areas that were identified as the more suitable for this integration are: digital services, funding, planning of cultural events/activities, monitoring, evaluation and development, editorial support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Soviet Union - not wanting to miss the first important international event in the library world - sent two librarians to the first IFLA Congress: Ljubov' Borisovna Havkina (1871-1949) and Genrietta Karlovna Derman (1882-1954). Their biographies are remarkable both for the importance of their work for the development of Russian libraries and because of the biographical events that marked their lives. This paper tells their story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the institutional background of Italian State university libraries, from the establishment of the Italian Ministry of Culture to the present day - going through the last decade of the 20th century, when Legislative Decree 112/1998 proposed a new institutional organization of the State university libraries within the Universities. The main institutional and service tasks that State university libraries have to fulfill are supporting learning and research, preserving national heritage and providing proper spaces for public reading. The paper analyses the opportunities of interaction and cooperation with Universities and University libraries, as for-for instance-the purchasing policies (especially with regard to electronic resources) and the users' training and information sessions. Given the increasing compression of human and financial resources that hampers the daily management of libraries, inter-institutional cooperation nowadays is more desirable than ever. If on the one hand the plurality of tasks and functions of the State university libraries reinforces their vitality, on the other hand it adds an extra burden on the daily organisation and service management, because of the difficulty of arranging their human and financial resources and of giving the right space and visibility to their several institutional and service tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the library of Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli (1658-1730), scientist, military engineer and diplomat of the Habsburgs during the Hungarian wars, then founder of the Istituto delle Scienze in Bologna, in order to understand his image of the Balkan world. For this purpose, the paper discusses the creation of Marsigli's library, by ascertaining when he gathered it (mainly between 1696 and 1703), in which way (contacts with intellectuals and booksellers, thematic bibliographies) and on the basis of what criteria (to build a reference library for politicians); then, it identifies the 37 works about Balkan matters Marsigli got and analyzes them quantitatively and qualitatively. The emerging image is heavily conditioned at a cultural level: Marsigli chose important books, but solely written in Western languages and mainly referring to the Hungarian regions and to the Greek-Turkish world, and he neglected the Slavic and Romanian areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]