The Libraries in Vienna are a network of libraries which are managed by the city of Vienna. They are mainly concerned with enabling broad public education, whilst the also city owns Wienbibliothek im Rathaus (Library of Vienna in the city hall), which focuses on scientific work.
Beside the main library at the "Neubaugürtel", the Libraries in Vienna maintain 38 branching libraries in almost all districts of Vienna. The "mobile libraries", which were established in 1958 and took on the form of so-called "Bookbuses", visiting designated places in Vienna (for example schools), were closed down in 2009.
What the Libraries Offer
Over 1.7 million media are available in the Libraries in Vienna, which fall in the jurisdiction of the municipal department 13 (education and extra-curricular youth services). Alongside books that offer a selection of all themes, from non-fiction books about advice, children's books, fiction, to viennese literature, the Libraries in Vienna also offer Audio CDs (classic, jazz, folk, rock and pop), CD-ROMs, DVDs, computer games, and audio- and video-cassettes. The media are in open-access and freely available, and can either be borrowed or used on the spot. In many instances there are "reading corners" for Migrants with books from the respective homelands. Each branch has at least one computer for catalogue- and internet research. In 2004 the "Libraries in Vienna" recorded 5,265 million loans from 129,125 readers.
Since 30 September 2010, numerous digital media can be loaned via download from the "Virtual Library of Vienna" at all times. These media can be downloaded and used on a computer or other devices such as E-Book-Readers or MP3-Players. In order to be able to borrow eMedia, a valid library card from the Libraries in Vienna and a computer with an internet connection is needed. The "return" happens automatically, after the expiration of the loan duration the eMedia can no longer be opened and is available to other users again instantly. Therefore, no overdue fines can be accrued.
Main Libraries and other Branches
+Branches 2021 Name District Existing-media Engerthstraße Library 2. 31,000 Zirkusgasse Library 2. 47,000 Erdbergstraße Library 3. 46,800 Rabenhof Library 3. 17,500 Fasanviertel Library 3. 16,900 Wieden Library 4. 34,300 Margareten Library 5. 29,000 Mariahilf Library 6. 30,000 Main Library 7. 406,700 Alsergrund Library 9. 13,500 Per-Albin-Hansson-Siedlung Library 10. 16,700 Laxenburger Straße Library 10. 30,700 Hasengasse Library 10. 12,400 Library in the Simmering Education Centre 11. 45,800 Leberberg Library 11. 23,500 am Schöpfwerk Library 12. 21,800 Philadelphiabrücke Library 12. 64,700 Hietzing Library 13. 34,200 Breitnerhof Library 14. 18,800 Penzing Library 14. 33,500 Am Meiselmarkt Library 15. 16,700 Schwendermarkt Library 15. 28,300 Sandleiten Library 16. 21,700 Ottakring Library 16. 19,800 Hernals Library 17. 41,200 Weimarer Straße Library 18. 26,700 Heiligenstadt Library 19. 21,700 Billrothstraße Library 19. 40,600 Pappenheimgasse Library 20. 33,100 Leystraße Library 20. 17,200 Schlingerhof Library 21. 38,200 Großjedlersdorf Library 21. 31,600 Großfeldsiedlung Library 21. 17,000 Seestadt Aspern Library 22. 22,500 Kaisermühlen Library 22. 12,900 Donaustadt Library 22. 38,000 Liesing Library 23. 41,500 Alt-Erlaa Library 23. 29,100
In the year 2003, the main library of the House of Books moved from the Josefstädter Skodagasse, (where the centre of the Music schools of Vienna now lies) to the Neubaugürtel, a part of the Gürtel, Vienna. Between both roadways of the belt and over the Burggasse-Stadthalle station, the building, designed by architect Ernst Mayr in the form of a 150-metre-long abstracted ship, was built in district 7 (address: Urban-Loritz-Platz 2a). At the main entry of the library, one can walk over the biggest staircase of Vienna, which stylistically lends from the Casa Malaparte This leads to the roof, where the Café Oben is. The facade is executed in the Terracotta style.
240,000 books and 60,000 audiovisual medias like magazines and newspapers can be seen across two levels. There is also an area called Kirangon for children. There are 130 computer workplaces for catalogue and internet research, as well as 40 audio and video places.
The main library has used the BiblioChip system RFID for contactless media-accounting and security since 2002. With this, the customers of the library can use their own scanning device to loan something themselves. The manager of the main library used to be Christian Jahl and as of 2022 is now Bernhard Pöckl.
Lesofant Festival and Free Book Campaign
The "Lesofant" festival ("Lesofant" is the reading mascot of the Libraries in Vienna and all public libraries in Austria) is a yearly cultural event for children in the city of Vienna, that takes place each November in the Libraries in Vienna. It runs for at least two weeks, offers approximately 60 events and has about 10,000 visitors. The programme consists of readings, music, storytelling and children's theatre, dance performances, clown and puppet shows, object theatre, and a special adventure night - called "Bücherdschungel" (the book jungle) - in Dschungel Wien (children and young persons' theatre) in the Museumsquartier. The supporting programme includes 400 supervised games from the Vienna Spielebox (toy library), children's Kurier newspaper workshop, other workshops and activities. The dedicated calendar of events "Lesofantino" offers programmes for all children up to 4 years old. The Libraries in Vienna also support the free book campaign of Vienna: "Eine STADT. Ein BUCH." (One city. One book.)
Personnel
The number of staff increased continuously from 1945 until 1992. In 1945, 78 people were employed, and by a year later the number rose to 122. In 1992 there were 220 employees, which was the highest number of staff up until that point. A large percentage of these were employed in the main library. Small teams of often only 5 people worked in the smaller branches. In 1945 around 63% of employees were women, in 1964 only around 56%, and in 1992 once again 64%.Alfred Pfoser: Die Wiener Städtischen Büchereien. Zur Bibliothekskultur in Österreich, 1994, S. 229.
History Early history: Public Libraries in Vienna until 1936
While the large cities of England, Scandinavia and Germany had started to establish public libraries from around 1900, the Worker's Library of Vienna was not founded until 1936. In this year the city of Vienna adopted the already existing public libraries as organising institutions, which were run by private organisations until then.
These public libraries were for instance built by the Wiener Volksbildungsverein (Viennese association for public education) which was founded in 1887. By 1914 they had already established 27 branches (e.g. a library in the adult education centre Volksheim Ottakring) with over 2 million annual borrowings. The Verein Zentralbibliothek (Central Library Association) which was founded by Eduard Reyer in 1897 was also of importance. It ran the central library and 24 branches with overall 3.5 million annual borrowings in 1911, charged fees and was staffed by paid librarians. Those two library organisations which, according to themselves, made an effort to provide "neutral" public education and enlightenment were opposed by organisations who represented a religious ideology. To do so, Ignaz Stich founded the Volkslesehalle (people's library) in 1899. Additionally, the Katholischer Bibliotheks- und Leseverein (Catholic Association for Libraries and Reading) was founded in 1909. The most important part of the Libraries in Vienna before the founding of the public libraries was the network of libraries built by the viennese Labour movement. At first it was their education organisations who sought to provide books and libraries to the masses and later on were assisted by unions and political parties. In 1908 the Zentralstelle für das Bildungswesen (Centre for Education) was founded, with Robert Danneberg as secretary. Numerous libraries with quality standards and standard guidelines were established, as well as a library committee with Josef Luitpold Stern at its head. Many of these libraries were residing in the Gemeindebau-buildings which were built during the Red Vienna period. There were 2,36 loans in the workers libraries in 1932.
Founding in 1936
The takeover of the Austrofaschisten signalled the end of the social democratic establishment, and the Association of Workers' Libraries with Karl Lugmayer as chairman took over the libraries that were seized. There were increasing attempts inside the Association of Workers' Libraries to resist the corporate state with legal cultural work, but these were stifled in 1936 with the decision to pass a new viennese public education law. The city took over the Association of Workers' Libraries and put it under the control of the municipal collections as a communal service. The censorship of books began in 1934 and has even now been increased again and a total of 1,500 titles have been indexed.
National Socialism Period and the Post-war Period
In 1938, the Association of Worker Libraries was renamed the Municipal Libraries. After the seizure of power by the Nationalsozialisten more works were discarded from the inventory, this time books by Jewish authors. After the Novemberpogrom 1938 Jews were banned from using the libraries. The librarians however stayed largely the same, since Left-wing politics and Jews had already been banned a since 1934. The leader became National Socialist Hans Ruppe, student of the library theorist Walter Hofmann and active for years in the library system of the Third Reich. Ruppe focused on controlling and regulating reading behaviour, and towards this he somewhat reduced fiction Belles-lettres works and strengthened the stock of non-fiction books that aligned with the National Socialist worldview. Until December 1941 a reader could only take out one book per visit. The number of readers rapidly decreased, while the professionalisation of librarians on the other hand increased. Fixed posts were set up in place of the expense allowances that had previously existed, and the librarians had to complete training at one of the German public library schools.
After the end of the war the rebuilding of the Municipal Libraries began. From the former Worker's Libraries only a third still remained (of the 23 branches that existed in 1945) and the inventory of books had been decimated due to the cleansing done by the "Austrian fascist" and the National Socialist works. The social democrats decided against giving back the Worker's Libraries, so the Municipal Libraries were able to be integrated into the new city's administration. They were managed by the cultural office until 1979 and the primary goals of the post-war period were above all to procure books and restore the branches.
Since 1950