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Copyright of Bibliothecae.it is the property of University of Bologna and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bibliothecae.it is the property of University of Bologna and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

(Series Information) European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2023 8(2), 689-712 | Article | (Table of Contents) I. Introduction: libraries and copyright law in the digital networked environment. – II. Digital library developments: institutional organisation, purpose and functions. – III. Assessment: digital libraries under the modernised DSM directive: is EU copyright law currently future-proof? – III.1. Institutional organisation. – III.2. Purpose. – III.3. Functions. – III.3.1. Preservation. – III.3.2. Access. – III.4. Conclusion. – IV. Outlook: towards a future-proof library privilege in EU copyright law. – IV.1. Institutional organisation. – IV.2. Purpose. – IV.3. Functions. – IV.4. Conclusion. | (Abstract) Digitisation – and its implications for the creation and dissemination of cultural content – has been on the EU policy agenda for decades, notably in the field of copyright law. Yet, despite modernisation efforts from the 1990s onwards, the “library privilege” – i.e., the provisions regulating library functions – persistently focuses on physicality. For instance, the consultation of digital materials remains confined to library buildings. Given the increasing options for remote access to content, it is questionable whether this focus still works in the digital information society. Therefore, this Article aims to critically assess, first, whether EU copyright law is currently future-proof taking into consideration digital library developments on the one hand and copyright modernisation efforts on the other. It finds that the most recent addition to the EU copyright acquis, the Digital Single Market Directive (2019), offers some openings for interpretative space to accommodate the library’s evolving side. Second, in addressing the research and policy agenda for the years to come, the Article offers a way of thinking about a copyright law that flexibly balances right holder, library and user interests. Seeing that copyright law and libraries share goals in the organisation and dissemination of information, the argument is made that their relationship should not be “set in stone”: rather, copyright law should facilitate remote access at least to some extent. While the historical focus on physicality may have been intended to prevent the library privilege from becoming too broad in scope, this delineation rationale should be operationalised differently.

Copyright of Reti Medievali is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The sources often speak of the world of women in an indirect, cross-cutting way, since over the centuries women have played social, legal, economic and cultural roles that are not always evident. Only in a few cases can gender studies boast of archives and libraries of exclusively female provenance: even with reference to recent periods, their number is small, either because of conservative conduct anchored in outdated historiographical hierarchies or as a result of women's lesser aptitude for documenting their existence and their role in society, expressing a difficulty in considering themselves as agent subjects in history. It is precisely on this side that the organization of the cycle Profiles of Women among Papers and Books was oriented, with which the aim was to illustrate to a wide audience the lives of some female figures and institutions that represent, or have represented, at several levels’ Italian society and culture through the cognitive lens of their papers and books.

Copyright of Bibliothecae.it is the property of University of Bologna and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Three hitherto unknown fragments of lost manuscripts of Dante's Commedia from the second half of the 14th century have been discovered in recent years. They are preserved in the bindings of two registers and in printed books: the former are now at the Archivio Storico comunale in Lodi, the latter at the library of the Seminario Vescovile in Pavia. The paper provides a codicological and paleographic description and an interpretative edition of the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bibliothecae.it is the property of University of Bologna and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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 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]

Starting from the publication of the volume Leggere in Europa: testi, forme, pratiche (secoli XVIII-XXI), a cura di Lodovica Braida e Brigitte Ouvry-Vial, Roma, Carocci, 2023, the paper discusses the main methodological and historiographical issues related to theme of reading, in recent years a particularly vital field of study and rich in interdisciplinary perspectives.

Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems offer a new paradigm for querying and retrieving information, making the resource recovery processes more efficient and accurate due to their ability to learn and generate responses based on vast knowledge databases. This paper aims to demonstrate these systems in a simplified form to initiate a scientific discussion on the possibility of integrating these technologies into archival and bibliographic resource retrieval systems, and more broadly, into cultural heritage management.

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]

This paper seeks to analyse the space of reading by specifically targeting an adequate environment: the public library. Here, reading can be grasped in its social dimension and its multiform nature. Given that reading can be understood within the context of the public library, the very act of reading can be considered a decoding exercise within the library itself. This article explains some interpretative approaches that regard the public library as a dense space by connecting heuristic possibilities offered through sociological knowledge and through the lens of the social imaginary. Moving from sociological implications of the public library and the awareness that the imaginary reconfigures and synthesizes relationships and meanings between physical and literary spaces, the research will analyze the visible and invisible aspects of the field in which the library can be subject to social representation, while still keeping its active character of producing meaning through literary spaces as well as through the exhibition and the organization of the library's collections. [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]

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]

Copyright of Mediterranea - Ricerche Storiche is the property of Mediterranea-Ricerche Storiche and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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]

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 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]

This contribution provides a brief report on the papers presented during the seminar entitled “The libraries of museums and libraries as museums”, held in the afternoon of November 16, 2022 at the Sala Macchia of the National Central Library of Rome, promoted and organized by Fondazione 1563 per l’Arte e la Cultura of the Compagnia di San Paolo as part of RO.ME – Museum Exhibition.

Objetivos: ofrecer una panorámica histórica y actual de los centros europeos y españoles de información (bibliotecas, archivos y centros de documentación) especializados en mujeres, que surgen en paralelo al movimiento político de las mujeres. Se incide en sus misiones y evolución, para reflexionar y conformar lo que después de más de un siglo de existencia podemos llamar memoria de los feminismos. El artículo quiere también dar a conocer una bibliografía en este ámbito, especialmente entorno a algunos centros más activos, que creemos que puede mostrar un marco de referencia en este análisis. -- Metodología: revisión bibliográfica de la literatura destacada en la temática, sin llegar a hacer un análisis exhaustivo de todas las asociaciones y centros de documentación europeos y españoles. La búsqueda bibliográfica se ha realizado a partir de la base de datos Mapping the World of Women's Information Services y el directorio de la Red de Centros de Documentación y Bibliotecas de Mujeres. -- Resultados: se observan una serie de líneas y reflexiones que permiten situar algunos de los retos de estos centros en la actualidad. Se constata la consolidación de centros de referencia, como es el caso italiano, que aprovechan los recursos y estructuras públicas en el ámbito de las bibliotecas y archivos; la evolución y adaptación de los centros a través de un recorrido histórico dentro del país; la importancia en la configuración de redes que integran fondos y colecciones sobre la temática pero que no tienen suficiente visibilidad; los fondos personales como documentación representativa de esta memoria; proyectos de digitalización para la conservación de estos materiales; necesidad de delimitar políticas de captación de fondos y promover la investigación. Para acabar se plantea un proyecto futuro que creemos significativo y necesario para el contexto español. Objective: This paper presents a historical overview about European and Spanish information centres (libraries, archives and documentation centres) specialised in women and gender that rose parallel to the feminist political movement. Their mission and evolution are highlighted in order to build up what, after more than a century, can be called feminisms memory. This paper also aims to present some literature on this field, with a special emphasis on some of the more active centres, which can provide a frame of reference in this analysis. -- Methodology: Literature review on the subject, without making an in-depth analysis of all European and Spanish associations and documentation centres. The literature research starting point was the database Mapping the World of Women's Information Services and the Spanish Red de Centros de Documentación y Bibliotecas de Mujeres (Information Centres and Women's Libraries Web). -- Results: A sequence of lines and reflections was observed, which enable us to put forward some of the challenges of these centres at present time: consolidation of reference centres, such as in the Italian case, where resources and public structures in libraries and archives are used; the time evolution and adaptation of the centres with a historical background in their countries of origin; the importance of setting up networks integrating collections about the subject, which unfortunately are not visible enough at the moment; personal collections as representative documentation in the present report; digitalization projects to preserve these materials; the need to define collection acquisition policies and promote research. Finally, a future project deemed relevant and related to the Spanish context is proposed.

Objectius: oferir una panoràmica històrica i actual dels centres europeus i espanyols d'informació (biblioteques, arxius i centres de documentació) especialitzats en dones i gènere, que sorgeixen en paral·lel al moviment polític de les dones. S'incideix en les seves missions i evolució, per reflexionar i conformar el que, després de més d'un segle d'existència, podem anomenar memòria dels feminismes. L'article vol també donar a conèixer una bibliografia en aquest àmbit, especialment a l'entorn d'alguns dels centres més actius, que creiem que pot mostrar un marc de referència en aquesta anàlisi. -- Metodologia: revisió bibliogràfica de la literatura destacada en la temàtica, sense que l'anàlisi sigui exhaustiva de totes les associacions i centres de documentació europeus i espanyols. Per a la recerca bibliogràfica s'ha pres com a referència la base de dades Mapping the World of Women's Information Services i el directori de la Red de Centros de Documentación y Bibliotecas de Mujeres. -- Resultats: s'observen un seguit de línies i reflexions que permeten situar alguns dels reptes d'aquests centres en l'actualitat. Es constata la consolidació de centres de referència, com és el cas italià, que aprofiten els recursos i estructures públiques en l'àmbit de les biblioteques i arxius; l'evolució en el temps i adaptació dels centres amb un recorregut històric dins el país d'origen; la importància en la configuració de xarxes que integren fons i col·leccions sobre la temàtica, però que malauradament encara no tenen prou visibilitat; els fons personals com a documentació representativa d'aquesta memòria; els projectes de digitalització per conservar aquests materials; necessitat de delimitar polítiques de captació de fons, així com promoure la recerca. Finalment, s'esbossa un projecte futur que creiem significatiu i necessari per al context espanyol. Objective: This paper presents a historical overview about European and Spanish information centres (libraries, archives and documentation centres) specialised in women and gender that rose parallel to the feminist political movement. Their mission and evolution are highlighted in order to build up what, after more than a century, can be called feminisms memory. This paper also aims to present some literature on this field, with a special emphasis on some of the more active centres, which can provide a frame of reference in this analysis. -- Methodology: Literature review on the subject, without making an in-depth analysis of all European and Spanish associations and documentation centres. The literature research starting point was the database Mapping the World of Women's Information Services and the Spanish Red de Centros de Documentación y Bibliotecas de Mujeres (Information Centres and Women's Libraries Web). -- Results: A sequence of lines and reflections was observed, which enable us to put forward some of the challenges of these centres at present time: consolidation of reference centres, such as in the Italian case, where resources and public structures in libraries and archives are used; the time evolution and adaptation of the centres with a historical background in their countries of origin; the importance of setting up networks integrating collections about the subject, which unfortunately are not visible enough at the moment; personal collections as representative documentation in the present report; digitalization projects to preserve these materials; the need to define collection acquisition policies and promote research. Finally, a future project deemed relevant and related to the Spanish context is proposed.

Objectiu: donar a conèixer les experiències més significatives d'ús de la realitat augmentada en biblioteques, fent una especial atenció als resultats obtinguts, les aportacions i les limitacions que s'han de tenir en compte. -- Metodologia: revisió bibliogràfica, selecció i anàlisi d'experiències sobre l'ús de la realitat augmentada en biblioteques. -- Resultats: malgrat ser una tecnologia recent, els exemples d'ús de la realitat augmentada en biblioteques són diversos. No obstant això, es fa necessari donar a conèixer els resultats d'aquestes experiències, de manera que puguin servir no solament com a model, sinó també per conèixer què és el que funciona. Es presenta als professionals un catàleg d'usos de la realitat augmentada en biblioteques, dels quals s'analitzen de forma crítica els possibles beneficis i limitacions, i s'agrupen en set apartats segons la utilitat: geolocalització, contextualització històrica, exposicions i altres activitats, publicacions, enriquiment dels espais físics, alfabetització i ludificació i, finalment, usos professionals. Objective: This paper reports on the most notable examples of library projects using augmented reality technology, focusing on the results, the contributions this technology has made and the various difficulties librarians should bear in mind when planning such projects. -- Methodology: The paper provides a literature review and analyses a series of projects. -- Results: Although augmented reality (AR) technology is still relatively new, its use in library projects is becoming more widespread. However, we need to consider not only how such projects have succeeded but how they reflect the difficulties of applying AR in a library context. This paper provides library professionals with a description of the pros and cons of the various uses of AR, grouping these into seven sections, according to application: geolocation; the use of AR to provide historical context; exhibitions and other activities; publications; the use of AR to enhance of physical spaces; literacy and recreational use; and professional applications.

Objetivo: dar a conocer las experiencias más significativas de uso de la realidad aumentada en bibliotecas, con una especial atención a los resultados obtenidos, las aportaciones y las limitaciones que se deben tener en cuenta. -- Metodología: revisión bibliográfica, selección y análisis de experiencias sobre el uso de realidad aumentada en bibliotecas. -- Resultados: a pesar de ser una tecnología reciente, son varios los ejemplos de uso de la realidad aumentada en bibliotecas. Sin embargo, se hace necesario dar a conocer los resultados de dichas experiencias, de forma que puedan servir no solo como modelo, sino también para conocer qué es lo que funciona. Se presenta a los profesionales un catálogo de usos de la realidad aumentada en bibliotecas, analizados de forma crítica sus posibles beneficios y limitaciones, agrupados en siete apartados según la utilidad: geolocalización, contextualización histórica, exposiciones y otras actividades, publicaciones, enriquecimiento de los espacios físicos, alfabetización y ludificación y, finalmente, usos profesionales. Objective: This paper reports on the most notable examples of library projects using augmented reality technology, focusing on the results, the contributions this technology has made and the various difficulties librarians should bear in mind when planning such projects. -- Methodology: The paper provides a literature review and analyses a series of projects. -- Results: Although augmented reality (AR) technology is still relatively new, its use in library projects is becoming more widespread. However, we need to consider not only how such projects have succeeded but how they reflect the difficulties of applying AR in a library context. This paper provides library professionals with a description of the pros and cons of the various uses of AR, grouping these into seven sections, according to application: geolocation; the use of AR to provide historical context; exhibitions and other activities; publications; the use of AR to enhance of physical spaces; literacy and recreational use; and professional applications.

Compared to the Habsburg era, when Yiddish writings were hardly printed in Bukovina – due to the centralized policy of Vienna and the openness towards integration and assimilation on the part of numerous Bukovinian Jews, as well as because of the status of Yiddish as the language of uneducated Jews – the Yiddish printing industry, as well as the Yiddish libraries didn’t develop until the early 1920s, simultaneously with the emergence of national identity concepts. This paper is based on descriptive research and discusses the importance of these institutions in shaping trajectories of cultural, national and linguistic identities.

Copyright of Reti Medievali is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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 examines the current situation of statistical information sources and the role that libraries can play in disseminating them. This sector is immersed in change that has accelerated due to new digital media and the Internet, but at the same time it has suffered from the low level of statistical literacy of the majority of potential users. The discussion begins with an introduction to statistical data: methodological characteristics, producers (sources and agencies); creation and distribution circuits; user needs; and search methods and interfaces. The role of libraries in the purchase, management, and dissemination of this type of material is then evaluated, from basic reference to high-level research.Es presenta l’estat de la qüestió de les fonts d’informació estadística i el paper que les biblioteques poden tenir per difondre-les. Aquest sector està immers en un canvi accelerat fruit dels nous suports digitals i d’Internet, però alhora pateix la baixa alfabetització estadística de la majoria dels usuaris potencials. En primer lloc es fa una introducció a les dades estadístiques: característiques metodològiques; productors (fonts i agències); circuits de creació i distribució; necessitats dels usuaris; mètodes de cerca i interfícies. En segon lloc s’avalua el paper de les biblioteques en la compra, gestió i difusió d’aquest tipus de material, des de la referència bàsica fins a l’alta investigació.

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]

A paper manuscript of the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria of Turin (gr. 64 Pasini) -- still extant in the Library though damaged in the fire of 1904 - preserves an obituary of Janus Lascaris, to be added to the only one known so far from Vat. gr. 2240. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wikipedia Library è un progetto globale sostenuto dalla Wikimedia Foundation che punta a fornire servizi bibliotecari e di reference per i redattori e i lettori di Wikipedia, rendendo possibile l’accesso diretto ai riferimenti bibliografici che supportano la “somma di tutta la conoscenza umana”. Questi ambiziosi obiettivi sono perseguiti attraverso la collaborazione con gli editori scientifici e con servizi come Internet Archive. Il successo del giovane progetto deriva dalle esperienze di collaborazione con i bibliotecari professionisti. Il paper descrive le soluzioni tecniche, i progetti e le partnership di TWL, che recano vantaggi significativi per i wikipediani, i lettori e i bibliotecari e preannunciano una integrazione sempre più stretta tra Wikipedia e le biblioteche.

Introducció: aquest treball se centra en el procés de tria de lectures literàries, relacionant els actes de mediació de la lectura, implícita i explícita, amb les pràctiques de prescripció lectora. -- Objectiu: conèixer millor el procés de tria de lectures literàries per part dels usuaris de la biblioteca, per obtenir pistes per a possibles adaptacions de les pràctiques de prescripció lectora, en l'àmbit de la mediació de la informació. -- Metodologia: estudi de cas, mitjançant un qüestionari a joves lectors. Resultats: es confirma que el públic femení llegeix més llibres de ficció, que la tria de les lectures s'efectua principalment a la biblioteca i no amb anterioritat i que es reconeix el paper especialitzat dels professionals de la biblioteca en la prescripció de lectures. A més, es constata que hi ha serendipitat i solitud del lector en el moment de la tria de lectures i que la matèria de l'obra literària es considera l'element més rellevant, tant en el moment de la tria com en el de la prescripció lectora. Es conclou que es poden adaptar les pràctiques de prescripció de lectures literàries als interessos i comportaments dels lectors, especialment apostant per la mediació implícita de la informació. Introduction: This article focuses on the process by which library users select works of fiction and considers the importance of informal and formal literacy mediation in readers’ advisory practices. -- Objective: To understand in greater detail how users select works of fiction in order to tailor readers’ advisory practices in the area of literacy mediation. -- Methodology: The research took the form of a case study using a questionnaire addressed to young readers. -- Results: The questionnaire showed that young women read more works of fiction than young men and that library users generally chose a book at the moment they visited the library rather than beforehand. Library professionals were important in providing readers’ advisory. The questionnaire also revealed that the moment when a book was chosen was characterised by its solitary nature, its lack of planning and the importance given to chance discovery. Furthermore, the subject of the work of fiction was considered to be the most important factor in the choice, both for the user and in readers’ advisory practices. The article concludes that readers’ advisory practices can be tailored to library users’ interests and behaviour, and that it is especially important for library professionals to find informal ways to work as literacy mediators.

This paper makes the first comprehensive inventory of Hebrew manuscripts in public libraries and state archives in Portugal. The inventory includes the identification and location of the manuscripts and presentation according to their contents; following a thorough codicological and paleographical analysis, their origin and probable date of production is also discussed. The circumstances of acquisition or entry of the volumes into the libraries are also considered. In many cases, the results obtained allow the update of the existing information about these manuscripts in the catalogs of the libraries where the volumes are held.

In the early days of the TEI Guidelines, academic libraries extended their access and preservation mandates to include electronic text, providing expertise in authority control, subject analysis, and bibliographic description. But the advent of mass digitization efforts involving simple scanning of pages and OCR called into question such a role for libraries in text encoding. This paper presents the results of a survey targeting library employees to learn more about text-encoding practices and to gauge current attitudes toward text encoding.

Objectiu: L'article es proposa analitzar la percepció pública de les biblioteques a Espanya des d'una perspectiva externa a l'àmbit professional, és a dir, a través de la premsa diària. Ens hem preguntat, en concret, quins són els temes que més es tracten als diaris en relació amb les biblioteques i si han canviat durant el període que ens interessa (2008-2012), especialment després de l'aparició de la crisi econòmica. L'anàlisi s'ha realitzat en un marc comparatiu amb altres països europeus (Itàlia, França i Regne Unit). -- Metodologia: L'estudi s'ha basat en un examen sistemàtic de dos diaris nacionals espanyols, El País i El Mundo, des de l'any 2008 al 2012, a través d'una consulta de la base de dades FactivaTM. D'entre els articles que hem obtingut, s'han identificat els que eren pertinents a l'estudi, i sobre aquests s'ha realitzat una anàlisi del text i del contingut, codificant cada article segons els següents paràmetres: tipus de biblioteca de la qual es parla, tema principal, secció en la qual es va publicar l'article i, en el cas d'articles que parlen de biblioteques estrangeres, el país a què pertanyen. -- Resultats: La imatge general de les biblioteques que es desprèn de l'anàlisi de la premsa diària espanyola té llums i ombres, ja que si d'una banda posa en relleu aspectes que el públic general considera importants i fins i tot imprescindibles, de l'altra ens confirma algunes de les preocupacions existents entre el col·lectiu de bibliotecaris i empeny a una reflexió més profunda pel que fa als camins a recórrer en el futur. L'anàlisi diacrònica dels articles ens mostra com, després d'una primera fase caracteritzada per un gran interès per les noves biblioteques i l'atenció a les inversions que s'hi dedicaven, el pes cada vegada més fort de la crisi econòmica va canviar la percepció, i va portar l'enfocament cap a les perspectives digitals del coneixement i el possible paper de les biblioteques com a eina anticrisi. En general, la premsa diària té tendència a representar una idea de les biblioteques força tradicional i els estereotips sobre la naturalesa de les biblioteques i la feina dels bibliotecaris semblen lluny de superar-se. Objectives: To analyse the Spanish public's perception of its libraries from a non-librarian’s point of view, in this case through the eyes of the Spanish press. Specifically, we examined the topics newspapers addressed most frequently in library-related news and considered how these topics changed in the period under question (2008–2012), especially after the beginning of the financial crisis. This was a comparative study, completed in conjunction with researchers in France, Italy and the UK. -- Methodology: The study was based on a systematic examination of the two national Spanish newspapers El País and El Mundo during the period 2008–2012, using a survey of the Factiva news database. First we identified the articles that were relevant to the study. Next, we performed a text and content analysis, codifying each article according to the following parameters: type of library being discussed, main topic, section of the newspaper in which the article appeared and, in articles on libraries outside Spain, the country to which the library belonged. -- Results: The analysis of the Spanish press offers mixed results about the current status of Spain's libraries. On the one hand, the general public considers library services to be important or even essential. On the other, libraries are facing the problems which are often described by library staff associations and there is a need for serious debate about the future of library services. Diachronic analysis indicated that after an initial period characterized by great interest in new libraries and investment in library infrastructures, the increasing pressure of the financial crisis changed public perception and moved the focus towards digital modes of knowledge and the possible role of libraries as an instrument to counteract the effects of the crisis. In general, the image of Spanish libraries presented by the press was markedly traditional and did little to alter common stereotypes about the nature of libraries and the work of librarians.

The paper presents the first results of a research which aims at evaluating how the public perception about libraries has evolved over the last five years in Europe. It quantifies and qualifies the presence of issues concerning libraries in the European press in order to answer the following research questions: which are the most discussed topics and have they changed over the last years? Are there any significant differences between the European countries and newspapers in the debate about libraries? The research is based upon a comparative textual analysis of eight print newspapers of national interest coming from four different European countries (UK, Italy, France and Spain) and concerns the quantity and quality of articles on libraries published from 2008 to 2012. The data analysis highlights the following main trends: public and national libraries are prevalent in the debate; a general agreement is found on the most popular topics; no relevant connection can be traced between the political areas the newspapers belong to and the topics dealt with; a deeper analysis of the national context is required to better interpret the differences among the newspapers; the effect of the economic crisis on the evolution of the debate is evident both in the presence/absence and in the rise/decline of some topics. As for now, the research proves to be effective not only to highlight different topics and approaches, but also to understand how newspapers relate with the common thoughts and the general feelings autonomously emerging from in the society.

Ethiopia is a country of a centuries-old tradition and history of writing. It possessed its own unique system for gathering materials of historical importance and a pecular library system. Throughout the years manuscripts were kept under the custody of Ethiopian Church monks. In the 20th century Ethiopia’s succesive rulers attached great importance to the building of a European style central repository of all written materials. They established and gradually developed the National Archives and Library of Ethiopia (NALE). The paper outlines the history of NALE from its beginnings up to now.

Objectius. Descriure els documents i els recursos de suport bibliogràfic que fonamenten el desenvolupament de les col·leccions a les biblioteques del Sistema de Lectura Pública de Catalunya (polítiques documentals, serveis d'informació, etc.). I valorar quins són els procediments i les intervencions que poden reforçar els discursos bibliotecaris sobre les col·leccions de les biblioteques. -- Metodologia. Es fa una anàlisi dels documents de política de col·lecció de les biblioteques objecte d'estudi, així com dels serveis de suport bibliogràfic que participen en la configuració del fons de les biblioteques públiques. La lectura de les tendències apuntades per diferents especialistes internacionals en la matèria serveix de fonament per apuntar un horitzó d'expectatives del treball bibliotecari sobre les col·leccions. -- Resultats. Es constata la feblesa de la nostra tradició bibliotecària pel que fa a la redacció de documents formals de polítiques de col·lecció, així com la manca d'un treball cooperatiu que doni visibilitat i exploti les competències i el coneixement dels professionals bibliotecaris sobre l'oferta bibliogràfica. Les anàlisis dels experts apunten entre les línies estratègiques del futur de la biblioteca l'enfortiment del seu paper de mediadora i d'orientadora de continguts; les oportunitats són bones, tanmateix, les estratègies que permetrien sumar i rendibilitzar esforços encara estan per definir.