Editing Library (section)

==Types==
[[File:W.P.A. Packhorse Libraries.png|thumb|[[Pack Horse Library Project|W.P.A. Packhorse Libraries]], Book Carriers ready to take the trail from [[Hindman, Kentucky]].]]
Many institutions make a distinction between a circulating or [[lending library]], where materials are expected and intended to be loaned to patrons, institutions, or other libraries, and a reference library where material is not lent out. Travelling libraries, such as the early horseback libraries of eastern Kentucky<ref>{{cite web|title=The Amazing Story of Kentucky's Horseback Librarians (10 Photos)|url=https://archiveproject.com/the-horseback-librarians-of-eastern-kentucky-10-photos|website=Archive Project|access-date=19 May 2017|language=en|archive-date=12 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012202216/http://archiveproject.com/the-horseback-librarians-of-eastern-kentucky-10-photos|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[bookmobiles]], are generally of the lending type. Modern libraries are often a mixture of both, containing a general collection for circulation, and a reference collection which is restricted to the library premises. Also, increasingly, digital collections enable broader access to material that may not circulate in print, and enables libraries to expand their collections even without building a larger facility. Lamba (2019) reinforced this idea by observing that "today's libraries have become increasingly multi-disciplinary, collaborative and networked" and that applying [[Web 2.0]] tools to libraries would "not only connect the users with their community and enhance communication but will also help the librarians to promote their library's activities, services, and products to target both their actual and potential users".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lamba |first1=Manika |title=Marketing of academic health libraries 2.0: a case study |journal=Library Management |year=2019 |volume=40 |issue=3/4 |pages=155–177 |doi=10.1108/LM-03-2018-0013 |s2cid=70170037 |url=https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/LM-03-2018-0013/full/html |access-date=9 March 2020 |archive-date=22 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422192312/https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/LM-03-2018-0013/full/html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Library system ===

A '''library system''' is a central organization created to manage and coordinate operations and services in or between different centers, buildings or [[Library branch|libraries branches]] and library patrons. They use a [[library classification]] to organize their volumes and nowadays also use an [[Integrated library system]] - an [[enterprise resource planning]] system for a library used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed.<ref>Adamson, Veronica, ''et al.'' (2008). {{cite web |title=''JISC & SCONUL Library Management Systems Study'' |url=http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/resourcediscovery/lmsstudy.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703151709/http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/resourcediscovery/lmsstudy.pdf |archive-date=2012-07-03 |access-date=2016-10-30}}&nbsp;{{small|(1&nbsp;MB)}}. Sheffield, UK: Sero Consulting. p. 51. Retrieved on 21 January 2009. "... a Library Management System (LMS or ILS 'Integrated Library System' in US parlance)." Some useful library automation software are: KOHA, Grennstone .LIBsis, and granthlaya.</ref> Many counties, states and universities have developed their own library systems. For example, the [[Arrowhead Library System (Minnesota)|Arrowhead Library System]] is a geographically based library system, established in 1965 to serve seven counties in Northeastern [[Minnesota]] with 29 member libraries in the system. In 2012 it merged with the North Country Library Cooperative to become the state's first regional public and multitype library system. The [[London Public Library]] in [[Canada]] has 16 branches, and the [[Helsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries]], in [[Finland]], has 63 libraries.<ref name="iiiHelsinkiMetro">{{cite web |date=5 February 2013 |title=Helsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries (Finland) Upgrades to Sierra Services Platform |url=http://www.iii.com/news/pr_display.php?id=559 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808044631/http://www.iii.com/news/pr_display.php?id=559 |archivedate=8 August 2014 |accessdate=1 August 2014 |publisher=Innovative |type=Press release}}</ref> Some countries, such as [[Venezuela]], have only one library system for the whole country; the [[National Library of Venezuela]] has 685 branches.

==== Library branch ====
[[File:North Portland Branch Public Library, Portland - DPLA - 85b06e5685680f767b4ac7a00a3c4385.jpg|left|thumb|150px|North Portland Branch Library, [[Portland, Oregon]].]]
A '''library branch''', '''branch library''' or '''community library''' is a local library that forms part of a larger [[library system]], using the same [[library classification]] for its catalogs and is interconnected with all the other branches of the system through an [[integrated library system]].

Some countries' municipalities have their own [[library system]], such as London Public Library (Canada) with 16 library branches, [[Helsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries]] (Finland) with 63 libraries,<ref name="iiiHelsinkiMetro" /> and the [[National Library of Venezuela]] with 685 branches.

Some popular library branches include [[New York Public Library Main Branch]], part of [[New York Public Library|New York Public Library System]], and [[Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library]], a branch of [[District of Columbia Public Library|District of Columbia Public Library System]].

===Academic libraries===
{{Main|Academic library}}[[File:Egyetemi Könyvtár4.JPG|thumb|right|The University Library at [[Eötvös Loránd University]], Budapest, Hungary.]]
[[Academic Libraries|Academic libraries]] are generally located on college and university campuses and primarily serve the students and faculty of that and other academic institutions. Some academic libraries, especially those at public institutions, are accessible to members of the general public in whole or in part. Library services are sometimes extended to the general public at a fee; some academic libraries create such services in order to enhance literacy levels in their communities.

Academic libraries are libraries that are hosted in post-secondary educational institutions, such as colleges and universities. Their main functions are to provide support in research, consultancy and resource linkage for students and faculty of the educational institution. Academic libraries house current, reliable and relevant information resources spread through all the disciplines which serve to assuage the information requirements of students and faculty. In cases where not all books are housed some libraries have E-resources, where they subscribe for a given institution they are serving, in order to provide backups and additional information that is not practical to have available as hard copies. Furthermore, most libraries [[Interlibrary loan|collaborate with other libraries]] in exchange of books.

Specific course-related resources are usually provided by the library, such as copies of textbooks and article readings held on 'reserve' (meaning that they are loaned out only on a short-term basis, usually a matter of hours). Some academic libraries provide resources not usually associated with libraries, such as the ability to check out laptop computers, web cameras, or scientific calculators.

[[File:Robartslibrary.jpg|thumb|The [[Robarts Library]] at the [[University of Toronto]], Canada.]]Academic libraries offer workshops and courses outside of formal, graded coursework, which are meant to provide students with the tools necessary to succeed in their programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://main.library.utoronto.ca/workshops/|title=St. George Library Workshops|website=utoronto.ca|date=9 August 2018|access-date=24 February 2022|archive-date=24 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224103458/https://www.library.utoronto.ca/|url-status=live}}</ref> These workshops may include help with citations, effective search techniques, journal databases, and electronic citation software. These workshops provide students with skills that can help them achieve success in their academic careers (and often, in their future occupations), which they may not learn inside the classroom.

The academic library provides a quiet study space for students on campus; it may also provide group study space, such as meeting rooms. In North America, Europe, and other parts of the world, academic libraries are becoming increasingly digitally oriented. The library provides a "gateway" for students and researchers to access various resources, both print/physical and digital.<ref>Dowler, Lawrence (1997). ''Gateways to knowledge: the role of academic libraries in teaching, learning, and research''. {{ISBN|0-262-04159-6}}</ref> Academic institutions are subscribing to electronic journals databases, providing research and scholarly writing software, and usually provide computer workstations or computer labs for students to access journals, library search databases and portals, institutional electronic resources, Internet access, and course- or task-related software (i.e. word processing and spreadsheet software). Some academic libraries take on new roles, for instance, acting as an electronic repository for institutional scholarly research and academic knowledge, such as the collection and curation of digital copies of students' theses and dissertations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://unllib.unl.edu/LPP/anunobi-okoye.htm |title=The Role of Academic Libraries in Universal Access to Print and Electronic Resources in the Developing Countries, Chinwe V. Anunobi, Ifeyinwa B. Okoye |publisher=Unllib.unl.edu |access-date=9 September 2012 |archive-date=30 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430131918/https://unllib.unl.edu/LPP/anunobi-okoye.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/|title=TSpace|website=utoronto.ca|access-date=26 October 2011|archive-date=17 December 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121217122608/https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/|url-status=live}}</ref> Moreover, academic libraries are increasingly acting as publishers on their own on a not-for-profit basis, especially in the form of fully [[Open Access]] institutional publishers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lepublikateur.de/2018/05/21/library-publishing/|title=Library Publishing, or How to Make Use of Your Opportunities|date=2018-05-21|work=LePublikateur|access-date=2018-06-15|language=en-GB|archive-date=9 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809233647/https://www.lepublikateur.de/2018/05/21/library-publishing/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Children's libraries===
{{redirect|Children's library|the collection of digitized books|Internet Archive's Children's Library}}
[[File:Kinderbücherei Ludwigsburg.jpg|thumb|Children's library section in the Ludwigsburg City Library.]]
Children's libraries are special collections of books intended for juvenile readers and usually kept in separate rooms of general public libraries.<ref>{{Cite web|first1=Lars |last1=Aarsgaard|first2=John |last2=Dunne|first3=Kathy |last3=East|first4=Leikny |last4=Haga Indergaard|first5=Susanne |last5=Kruger|first6=Ulga |last6=Maeots|first7=Rita |last7=Schmitt|first8=Ivanka |last8=Stricevic|date=2003|title=The background text to the Guidelines for Children's library services|url=https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/libraries-for-children-and-ya/publications/guidelines-for-childrens-libraries-services_background-en.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=10 March 2021|website=IFLA|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417175804/https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/libraries-for-children-and-ya/publications/guidelines-for-childrens-libraries-services_background-en.pdf}}</ref> Some children's libraries have entire floors or wings dedicated to them in bigger libraries while smaller ones may have a separate room or area for children. They are an educational agency seeking to acquaint the young with the world's literature and to cultivate a love for reading. Their work supplements that of the public schools.<ref>{{Americana|last=Modell |first=David A. |wstitle=Children's Libraries|inline=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=L.O.|first=Aina|title=Library and Information Science Text for Africa|publisher=Third World Information Services Ltd|year=2004|isbn=9783283618|location=Ibadan, Nigeria|pages=31}}</ref>

Services commonly provided by public libraries may include storytelling sessions for infants, toddlers, preschool children, or after-school programs, all with an intention of developing early literacy skills and a love of books. One of the most popular programs offered in public libraries are summer reading programs for children, families, and adults.<ref>Udomisor, I., Udomisor, E., & Smith, E. (2013). Management of Communication Crisis in a Library and Its Influence on Productivity. In Information and Knowledge Management (Vol. 3, No. 8, pp. 13–21)</ref>

Another popular reading program for children is PAWS TO READ or similar programs where children can read to certified therapy dogs. Since animals are a calming influence and there is no judgment, children learn confidence and a love of reading. Many states have these types of programs: parents need simply ask their librarian to see if it is available at their local library.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paws to read|url=https://www.readingpaws.org/READingPaws/Welcome.html|access-date=1 April 2013|archive-date=2 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502172750/http://www.readingpaws.org/READingPaws/Welcome.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Media libraries ===
In some countries, a difference is made between libraries that hold [[multimedia]] materials like videos, such as movies and documentaries, and sound recordings, such as music and audio books, and libraries that hold physical books.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CEU MultiMedia Library |url=http://www.library.ceu.hu/collections/mml.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20130321192952/http://www.library.ceu.hu:80/collections/mml.html |archive-date=2013-03-21 |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=www.library.ceu.hu}}</ref> The French term {{Lang|fr|médiatheque}} describes this sort of multimedia library<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Melot |first=Michel |date=2006 |title="Le temps des médiathèques" Regards sur un demi-siècle |url=https://www.enssib.fr/bibliotheque-numerique/documents/68260-regards-sur-un-demi-siecle.pdf |journal=Cinquantenaire du Bulletin des bibliothèques de France |language=Fr |pages=207–231 |issn=0006-2006}}</ref> and came from a period in the history of French libraries during the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bertrand |first=Anne-Marie |date=1994-01-01 |title=La médiathèque questionnée |url=https://bbf.enssib.fr/consulter/bbf-1994-02-0008-001 |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=bbf.enssib.fr |language=fr}}</ref> Notable media libraries include [[Sendai Mediatheque]] in Japan, and from within France the [[Médiathèque Musicale Mahler]], and [[Médiathèques de Saint-Étienne]].

===National libraries===
{{Main|National library}}
[[File:National Library of Wales.jpg|thumb|[[National Library of Wales]], [[Aberystwyth]].]]
A [[national library|national or state library]] serves as a national repository of information, and has the right of [[legal deposit]], which is a legal requirement that publishers in the country need to deposit a copy of each publication with the library. Unlike a public library, a national library rarely allows citizens to borrow books. Often, their collections include numerous rare, valuable, or significant works. There are wider definitions of a national library, putting less emphasis on the [[Institutional repository|repository]] character.<ref>Line, Maurice B.; Line, J. (1979). "Concluding notes". ''National libraries'', Aslib, pp. 317–18</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Lor |first1=Peter Johan |last2=Sonnekus |first2=Elizabeth A.S. |date=December 1995 |access-date=May 7, 2022 |url=https://www.ifla.org/VII/s1/gnl/index.htm |title=Guidelines for Legislation for National Library Services |website=[[International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions|IFLA]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813200532/https://www.ifla.org/VII/s1/gnl/index.htm |archive-date=13 August 2006 }}</ref> The first national libraries had their origins in the royal collections of the sovereign or some other supreme body of the state.

Many national libraries cooperate within the National Libraries Section of the [[International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions]] (IFLA) to discuss their common tasks, define and promote common standards, and carry out projects helping them to fulfill their duties. The national libraries of Europe participate in [[European Library|The European Library]] which is a service of the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL).<ref>{{Cite web|title=About CENL|url=https://www.cenl.org/about-cenl/|url-status=live|website=The Conference of European National Librarians (CENL)|access-date=15 March 2021|archive-date=2 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210402063020/https://www.cenl.org/about-cenl/}}</ref>

===Public lending libraries===
{{Main|Public library}}[[File:ET Amhara asv2018-02 img120 Awra Amba.jpg|thumb|left|A community library in [[Ethiopia]].]]
A public library provides services to the general public. If the library is part of a countywide library system, citizens with an active library card from around that county can use the library branches associated with the library system. A library can serve only their city, however, if they are not a member of the county public library system. Much of the materials located within a public library are available for borrowing. The library staff decides upon the number of items patrons are allowed to borrow, as well as the details of borrowing time allotted. Typically, libraries issue [[library card]]s to community members wishing to borrow books. Often visitors to a city are able to obtain a public library card.

Many public libraries also serve as community organizations that provide free services and events to the public, such as reading groups and toddler story time. For many communities, the library is a source of connection to a vast world, obtainable knowledge and understanding, and entertainment. According to a study by the [[Pennsylvania Library Association]], public library services play a major role in fighting rising illiteracy rates among youths.<ref>Celano, D., & Neumann, S.B. (2001). The role of public libraries in children's literacy development: An evaluation report. Pennsylvania, PA: Pennsylvania Library Association.</ref> Public libraries are protected and funded by the public they serve.

[[File:2015-07 k1 CDMX 3474.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Stacks of the [[Biblioteca Vasconcelos|José Vasconcelos Library]] in Mexico City, Mexico.]]
As the number of books in libraries have steadily increased since their inception, the need for compact storage and access with adequate lighting has grown. The ''[[library stack|stack system]]'' involves keeping a library's collection of books in a space separate from the reading room. This arrangement arose in the 19th century. Book stacks quickly evolved into a fairly standard form in which the cast iron and steel frameworks supporting the bookshelves also supported the floors, which often were built of translucent blocks to permit the passage of light (but were not transparent, for reasons of modesty). The introduction of [[electric lights]] had a huge impact on [[lighting in libraries]]. The use of glass floors was largely discontinued, though floors were still often composed of metal grating to allow air to circulate in multi-story stacks. As more space was needed, a method of moving shelves on tracks (compact shelving) was introduced to cut down on otherwise wasted aisle space.

[[Library 2.0]], a term coined in 2005, is the library's response to the challenge of Google and an attempt to meet the changing needs of users by using [[Web 2.0]] technology. Some of the aspects of Library 2.0 include, commenting, tagging, bookmarking, discussions, use of online social networks by libraries, [[plug-in (computing)|plug-ins]], and [[Software widget|widgets]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Cohen |first=L.B. |title=A Manifesto for our time |year=2007 |pages=47–49 |journal=American Libraries |volume=38}}</ref> Inspired by Web 2.0, it is an attempt to make the library a more user-driven institution.

Despite the importance ascribed to public libraries, their budgets are often cut by legislatures. In some cases, funding has dwindled so much that libraries have been forced to cut their hours and release employees.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jaeger |first1=Paul T. |last2=Bertot |first2=John Carol |last3=Gorham |first3=Ursula |title=Wake Up the Nation: Public Libraries, Policy Making, and Political Discourse |journal=The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy |date=January 2013 |volume=83 |issue=1 |pages=61–72 |doi=10.1086/668582 |jstor=10.1086/668582 |s2cid=145670348 }}</ref>

===Reference libraries{{anchor|Reference library}}===
[[File:2011 library reading room at University of Ibadan in Oyo Nigeria 5600401644.jpg|right|thumb|Graduate and post-graduate reading room at the University of Ibadan, [[Nigeria]]/]]
A reference library does not lend books and other items; instead, they can only be read at the library itself. Typically, such libraries are used for research purposes, for example at a university. Some items at reference libraries may be historical and even unique. Many lending libraries contain a "reference section", which holds books, such as dictionaries, which are common reference books, and are therefore not lent out.<ref>{{cite book |first1=George |last1=Ehrenhaft |first2=William |last2=Howard Armstrong |first3=M. Willard |last3=Lampe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_lwXXb_QmLAC&pg=PA263 |title=Barron's pocket guide to study tips |page=263 |publisher=Barron's Educational Series |date=August 2004 |isbn=978-0-7641-2693-2 |access-date=1 January 2016 |archive-date=27 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427210630/https://books.google.com/books?id=_lwXXb_QmLAC&pg=PA263 |url-status=live }}</ref> Such reference sections may be referred to as "reading rooms" or "study rooms", which may also include newspapers and periodicals.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nET95M8fc_YC&pg=PA90 |page=93 |title=Public Libraries |first=Amian L. |last=Champneys |publisher=Jeremy Mills Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-905217-84-7 |access-date=1 January 2016 |archive-date=30 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430065858/https://books.google.com/books?id=nET95M8fc_YC&pg=PA90 |url-status=live }}</ref> An example of a reading room is the Hazel H. Ransom Reading Room at the [[Harry Ransom Center]] of the [[University of Texas at Austin]], which maintains the papers of literary agent [[Audrey Wood (literary agent)|Audrey Wood]].<ref name=ransom>{{cite web |url=https://research.hrc.utexas.edu:8080/hrcxtf/view?docId=ead/00247.xml |title=Audrey Wood: An Inventory of Her Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center |website=Harry Ransom Center: The University of Texas at Austin |access-date=May 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315115358/http://research.hrc.utexas.edu:8080/hrcxtf/view?docId=ead%2F00247.xml |archive-date=15 March 2012}}</ref>

===Research libraries{{anchor|Research library}}===
{{main|Research library}}
[[File:Rijks Museum Library.jpg|right|thumb|Main reading room of the [[Rijksmuseum Research Library]] is the largest public [[art history]] [[research library]] in the [[Netherlands]]. The library is part of the [[Rijksmuseum]] in [[Amsterdam]].]]
A research library is a collection of materials on one or more subjects.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Young |first=Heartsill |title=ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science |year=1983 |page=[https://archive.org/details/alaglossaryoflib00youn/page/188 188] |publisher=American Library Association |location=Chicago |isbn=978-0-8389-0371-1 |oclc=8907224 |url=https://archive.org/details/alaglossaryoflib00youn/page/188 }}</ref> A research library supports scholarly or scientific research and will generally include [[primary source|primary]] as well as [[secondary source]]s; it will maintain permanent collections and attempt to provide access to all necessary materials. A research library is most often an [[academic library|academic]] or [[national library]], but a large [[special library]] may have a research library within its special field, and a very few of the largest public libraries also serve as research libraries. A large university library may be considered a research library; and in North America, such libraries may belong to the [[Association of Research Libraries]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.arl.org/arl/membership/members.shtml |title=Association of Research Libraries (ARL) :: Member Libraries |website=arl.org |year=2012 |access-date=2 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419012722/https://www.arl.org/arl/membership/members.shtml |archive-date=19 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the United Kingdom, they may be members of [[Research Libraries UK|Research Libraries UK (RLUK)]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rluk.ac.uk/|title=RLUK: Research Libraries UK|publisher=RLUK|access-date=9 January 2013|archive-date=13 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113090340/http://www.rluk.ac.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> Particularly important collections in England may be ''[[Designation Scheme|designated]]'' by [[Arts Council England]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/designated-collections|title=Designated Collections|website=Arts Council England|access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref>

A research library can be either a reference library, which does not lend its holdings, or a lending library, which does lend all or some of its holdings. Some extremely large or traditional research libraries are entirely reference in this sense, lending none of their materials; most academic research libraries, at least in the US and the UK, now lend books, but not periodicals or other materials. Many research libraries are attached to a parent organization and may serve only members of that organization. Examples of research libraries include the [[British Library]], the [[Bodleian Library]] at [[University of Oxford|Oxford University]] and the [[New York Public Library Main Branch]] on 42nd Street in Manhattan, [[State Public Scientific & Technological Library|State Public Scientific Technological Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spsl.nsc.ru/en/|title=SPSTL SB RAS|website=www.spsl.nsc.ru|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-26|archive-date=16 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216102423/http://www.spsl.nsc.ru/en/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nypl.org/help/about-nypl|title=Our Story|access-date=24 February 2022|archive-date=27 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127043118/https://www.nypl.org/help/about-nypl|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Digital libraries ===
{{Main|Digital library}}
Digital libraries are libraries that house digital resources, such as text, photographs, and audio. These are curated by digital librarians. In the 21st century, there has been increasing use of the internet to gather and retrieve data. The shift to digital libraries has greatly impacted the way people use physical libraries. Between 2002 and 2004, the average American academic library saw the overall number of transactions decline approximately 2.2%. The University of California Library System saw a 54% decline in circulation between 1991 and 2001 of 8,377,000 books to 3,832,000.

===Special libraries===
{{Main|Special library}}
[[File:20170420 Beinecke Rare Book Library Interior Yale University New Haven Connecticut.jpg|left|thumb|Bookshelves at the [[Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library]].]]
Many private businesses and public organizations, including hospitals, churches, museums, research laboratories, law firms, and many government departments and agencies, maintain their own libraries for the use of their employees in doing specialized research related to their work. Depending on the particular institution, special libraries may or may not be accessible to the general public or elements thereof.

In more specialized institutions such as law firms and research laboratories, librarians employed in special libraries are commonly specialists in the institution's field rather than generally trained librarians, and often are not required to have advanced degrees in a specifically library-related field due to the specialized content and clientele of the library.

Special libraries can also include women's libraries or LGBTQ libraries, which serve the needs of women and the LGBTQ community. [[Libraries and the LGBTQ community]] have an extensive history, and there are currently many libraries, archives, and special collections devoted to preserving and helping the LGBTQ community. Women's libraries, such as the Vancouver Women's Library or the [[Women's Library|Women's Library @LSE]] are examples of women's libraries that offer services to women and girls and focus on women's history.

Some special libraries, such as governmental law libraries, hospital libraries, and military base libraries commonly are open to public visitors to the institution in question. Depending on the particular library and the clientele it serves, special libraries may offer services similar to research, reference, public, academic, or children's libraries, often with restrictions such as only lending books to patients at a hospital or restricting the public from parts of a military collection. Given the highly individual nature of special libraries, visitors to a special library are often advised to check what services and restrictions apply at that particular library.

Special libraries are distinguished from [[special collections]], which are branches or parts of a library intended for rare books, manuscripts, and other special materials, though some special libraries have special collections of their own, typically related to the library's specialized subject area.

For more information on specific types of special libraries, see [[law library|law libraries]], [[medical library|medical libraries]], [[music library|music libraries]], or [[transportation libraries]].