Public library

A library that provides collections, services, and public access, typically funded and operated by a local government or community.

Library circulation: The lending and return of library materials, including the rules and records that govern their use. Circulation makes a public library’s collections available beyond its buildings.
Library board: A governing body that sets policy and oversees a library or library system. Boards can guide public library priorities and hold administrators accountable.
Free library movement: A nineteenth-century campaign to establish libraries supported by public funds and open without subscription fees. The movement helped establish the modern expectation of publicly funded, free access.
Library as third place: The idea of a library as a social setting outside home and work where people can gather. Public libraries often provide welcoming spaces for informal community life.
Academic library: A library that supports teaching, learning, and research at a college or university. Academic libraries primarily serve an educational institution’s community.
Interlibrary loan: A service through which one library obtains materials from another for a patron. It lets public libraries supply materials beyond their own collections.
Library taxation: The use of tax revenue to fund library services and operations. Local taxes are a common source of stable public library funding.
Andrew Carnegie: A Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who financed thousands of libraries. Carnegie grants helped build public library systems in many communities.
Digital divide: The gap between people with effective access to digital technologies and those without it. Public library internet and device access can reduce this gap.
National library: A library designated by a state to collect, preserve, and provide access to a nation’s publications and heritage. National libraries have preservation mandates beyond a local public library’s remit.

Linked from 32 pages