The Berlin Central and Regional Library (German: Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin) or ZLB is the official library of the City and State of Berlin, Germany. It was established as a Foundation by two State laws, initially in 1995 and amended in 2005, combining the following institutions:
- America Memorial Library (German: Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek), one of the largest public libraries in Berlin opened in 1954 and initially co-funded with a grant from the United States
- Berlin City Library (German: Berliner Stadtbibliothek), the municipal library of the city founded in 1901
- Berlin Senate Library (German: Senatsbibliothek Berlin), the official library of the Berlin Senate, founded on 22 December 1948.
- Berlin General Catalog (German: Berliner Gesamtkatalog or BGK)
| Berlin Central and Regional Library | |
|---|---|
| Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (ZLB) | |
 | |
 Corporate design of ZLB | |
 | |
| Location | Berlin-Mitte Berlin-Charlottenburg Berlin-Kreuzberg, Germany |
| Type | City and Regional library |
| Established | 1995 |
| Collection | |
| Size | 3.4 million |
| Legal deposit | Yes, Berlin Senate and State |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 4.24 million (2008) |
| Other information | |
| Director | Hans Joachim Rieseberg |
| Website | www.zlb.de |
In 2011 the library system had more than 3.4 million electronic and printed media.
The Foundation is a legal deposit library for all publications appearing in Berlin. The ZLB also has significant historical and estate collections, and operates the Center for Berlin Studies in Ribbeck-House. The ZLB is a member of the Public Libraries in Berlin (VÖBB) and the Cooperative Library Network of Berlin-Brandenburg (KOBV). Partner libraries are the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Rudomino All-Russian State Library for Foreign Literature in Moscow.[1]
Locations
edit- Berlin-Kreuzberg Blücherplatz 1 (America Memorial Library)
- Berlin-Mitte Breite Strasse 30–36 (Berlin City Library)
- Berlin-Charlottenburg (Berlin Senate Library)
There had been plans to combine the three institutions in a new building at the former Tempelhof Airport,[2][3] but a 2014 referendum ended the Berlin Senate's plans to open parts of the airport's outfield for development.[4] Debate about a centralised location continued, and in 2018, Blücherplatz was slated as the site for a new central library building. The existing America Memorial Library, which is listed as a historic monument, will have to remain part of the new ensemble. Construction is not expected to start before 2025.[5][6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Website of the ZLB Archived 2013-06-29 at the Wayback Machine in English, retrieved 01-Mar-2012
- ^ "Senator Müller stellte den Masterplan Tempelhofer Freiheit vor" [Senator Müller presented the „Masterplan Tempelhofer Freiheit“ (March 2013)]. www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de (in German). Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen Berlin.
- ^ "Kulturmaschine oder Megastruktur? Zwei erste Preise bei Wettbewerb für Landesbibliothek in Berlin" [Culture machine or mega structure? Contest for Berlin Central and Regional Library with two first prizes]. www.baunetz.de (in German). 18 December 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "100 Prozent Freiheit – und jetzt?" [100 % freedom – what now?]. www.tagesspiegel.de (in German). 26 May 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "Die ZLB kommt an den Blücherplatz" [ZLB to be built on Blücherplatz]. www.tagesspiegel.de (in German). 19 June 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "Neubau der Zentral- und Landesbibliothek könnte 500 Millionen Euro kosten" [Construction of new Central and Regional Library could amount to 500 Mio. Euro]. www.tagesspiegel.de (in German). 17 January 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2021.