Presentations

Library legislation in Europe

Barbara Schleihagen

Two thirds of all European Union countries have library legislation in place. Almost all legislation has been updated in recent years to adapt them to the needs of the information society. Library legislation is a tangible expression of the political will of a state to promote libraries. Library legislation can have many different attributes, depending on the specific political and legal conditions. Their advantages and disadvantages will be discussed and some minimum requirements of library legislation will be described.