Network of Excellence for Libraries (knb)

A network with supraregional services for libraries

Libraries provide access to information, education, culture and science for all citizens. In order to link up individual libraries in an efficient library system, it is vital to pool competences, agree common priorities, develop strategies and to ensure that an underlying infrastructure is in place. The Network of Excellence for Libraries contributes to achieving these objectives.

How does the Network of Excellence for Libraries work?

The Network of Excellence for Libraries provides central services and takes on supraregional tasks in the German library sector. It is not an institution, but a decentralised network of independent organisations. The knb was founded in 2004 and is jointly supported by all German federal states (“Länder”) via the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK). Together with supraregional library institutions, the Standing Conference forms a steering group to define the knb’s work programme. The knb website features all position papers and shares information: www.knb.bibliotheksverband.de (in German)

Services offered by the Network of Excellence for Libraries

These overall German library statistics (Deutsche Bibliotheksstatistik, DBS) provide data and facts about municipal libraries, university libraries and specialist libraries – either as a quick overview or as an individual analysis.
www.hbz-nrw.de/angebote/dbs/ (in German)

An international knowledge transfer promotes innovative libraries! This knb division facilitates access to expert knowledge from all over the world, organises the cooperation of international committees, functions as the secretariat of IFLA’s National Committee Germany and coordinates representing the interests of German libraries in an international context.

The „Advisory Service EU and External Funding“ is a part of the division „International Cooperation“ and informs about funding opportunities as well as the latest calls for tender. It supports libraries in the process of drawing up project proposals and helps them to find international partner institutions.

The Standardisation Committee for Libraries and Documentation (Normenausschuss Information und Dokumentation NID) is the forum where libraries and archives actively shape the standardisation processes affecting their work. The working groups ‘library construction planning’ and ‘RFID in libraries’ are linked to this division, providing comprehensive information services.
www.din.de/de/mitwirken/normenausschuesse/nid

The library portal offers comprehensive information about libraries. It provides data and facts, informs about the latest discussions and shows the way to library expertise available on the Internet. It is a service provided by the German Library Association and was initially realised as a module of the science portal b2i.

The coordination unit is in charge of the network’s organisation, public relations and joint quality assurance. It supports the work of the steering committee, is responsible for the network’s funding and provides assistance for the preparation of new projects.
www.knb.bibliotheksverband.de (in German)

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