This historical review considers the rise of the German Democratic Republic's (GDR) system of libraries since its inception in 1945. Sections detail the following: (1) background; (2) tasks of the state organs in the development of the library network, with attention to legislation, planning, and management of the system; (3) role of the GDR…

This discussion of the difficulties Poland faces in acquiring materials for its libraries' collections centers on four aspects: (1) historical background, (2) publishing output versus acquisition of collections, (3) decentralization of acquisition as the basis for distribution of collection in Poland, and (4) centralization of information about…

This overview of the history of legislation governing the Danish library system from 1920 to the present: describes the various kinds of libraries in Denmark, explores the current controversies surrounding the roles of several supervisory library bodies, and details recent recommendations of the Danish Library Commission. (FM)

This report provides a review of Bulgaria's history as it relates to library collections, and describes the current state of preservation activities at key institutions. The discussion includes: the political history of Bulgaria and its library collections; the Soviet state and its aftermath; economic constraints; decentralization of Bulgaria's…

This report discusses the importance of state libraries to the system of Australian library resources and outlines the relevance of state library resources to the present and future information needs of the Australian community. The nature and function of state libraries are reviewed and placed in a historical context. An outline of the challenges…