Importance of the Public Library

Public libraries fulfill a triple function: the preservation of knowledge, the diffusion of culture and the investigation. Likewise, it has an unquestionable social function, since it provides information through books, magazines, digital and audiovisual materials, newspapers and other supports.

As its name indicates, it is a public center and as such it is aimed at any individual who wants to improve their training and expand their culture.

Origin and development of libraries and the appearance of the first public institutions

The first written formats were in stone and on tablets. These systems were not useful for the preservation of information and it was necessary to create other more efficient formats: papyrus, parchment and finally paper.

In the third century B.C. C was founded the most famous in history, the Library of Alexandria. The great sages came to her to find out the content of the more than five hundred thousand scrolls in custody. In the third century AD. C the library caught fire and all the knowledge that was in it was forgotten. However, the Library of Alexandria served as inspiration for the creation of the first public libraries from the 18th century.

Originally they were created to promote literacy among citizens and to make culture accessible to the whole of society. Let's think that before these public spaces, there were only monastic, university or private libraries.

Services and activities of a public library

The main service offered is free consultation or loan of books. Free has an obvious meaning: that everyone can access knowledge regardless of their social class or economic situation. In this sense, it is an institution that facilitates the permanent education and cultural progress of a community.

Some of the most common services are the following: use of the reading rooms, access to the archives, orientation bibliography, consultation of digital collections, services for users with special needs, access to the newspaper library and Internet access service.

On the other hand, these public institutions also organize all kinds of recreational and cultural activities: reading clubs, guided tours, exhibitions, conferences, symposia, etc.

A center for research

In many research projects it is necessary to go to obtain information. The researcher has technical advice from the librarian and, at the same time, has access to properly ordered documents and files.

As a general rule, each country has its own national library, a public institution where researchers can access the heritage bibliography of a nation.

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