Public Libraries in Germany

Abstract

H. SCHURER‘S paper "Public Libraries in Germany", published as No. 5 in the German Educational Reconstruction Series (15 James Street, London, W.C.2), gives a readable account of the development of the public library system in Germany and of the two schools of thought, neither favouring open access to the shelves, which influenced that development down to the Nazi regime; it also deals with the part which the system could play in the educational reconstruction of Germany. The ideas of Walter Hofmann and his school in making book selection the decisive intellectual task of library service, with all its implied demands on the library staff, are set forth in some detail and should be of considerable interest to those engaged in library work in Britain, whether in the public library service, in the universities or in industry and commerce. The special characteristics of the tradition of German librarianship are of international significance, and a chapter in L. R. Wilson and M. F. Tauber‘s book on the university library suggests that that tradition has already made its influence felt in the United States as a positive contribution in library service. As regards the immediate future in Germany, apart from the restoration of damaged buildings and the recovery of lost stocks, Mr. Schurer considers that the main task will be the negative one of undoing most of the work of the Nazis, including the elimination of Nazi literature from book collections, removal of ardent Nazis from responsible positions, the preparation of new ‘readers guides and the training of library workers. Furthermore, he considers that the principle of open access must now be adopted, and he looks to a steady increase in the number of readers and to a healthy development of local and regional efforts rather than national or centralized efforts.