20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

360 Marian KorenThe Netherlands Public Library Association is a partner in the executionof the restructuring and innovation plans (Bibliotheekvernieuwing).Innovation and accountability are key words for the authorities. Therefore,a Guideline for Base Libraries has been adopted, creating a commondocument for the joint authorities and the professional field. The Guidelineformulates the five functions of the public library – inspired by the UNESCO/IFLA Public Library Manifesto: Information, Education, Culture, Readingand Forum; and four pillars:Collections, Staff, Building and Network. The authorities required aquality indication and standard for the annual subsidy of public libraries.Is the subsidy well spent and on the right issues? Therefore, a system ofcertification has been set up – a separate bureau organising self-evaluationand audits.In order to support the management and human resources of publiclibraries, the Association has prioritised a sector wide quality improvementplan. Cultural governance is one of the new focal points. The Council forCulture which advises the government on cultural affairs including publiclibraries writes in its report Innovate, Participate! A cultural policy agendafor The Netherlands:The task of cultural institutions is not only to act as good stewards of thecultural treasures they have in their care and which largely belong in thepublic domain. It is just as important for them to use the new opportunitiesto maximise the availability of these treasures for social and – subject tocertain conditions – economic use. The users, and not the material, are thepriority. Cultural institutions will therefore have to act more like guides ormediators in order to show users the way. (p. 19)One may conclude that at the national level authoritative bodies areengaged in public libraries, as reflected in their policies and advices. At thesame time, they expect major changes in the field.Political Awareness raisingBecause of the major library restructuring and innovation process, bothlibrary boards, managers, staff and also the local and regional politiciansand civil servants had increasingly contact with each other and wereconfronted with the obligation to work on a local agenda. In other words, apolitical awareness raising had started.The Guideline for base libraries, as a common point of departure,was transformed into a Position Paper presenting the library as ’Axis ofthe changing society’. The essence of the public library service and its