Name: Celene Thomas

Subject: Library Studies

First, I would like to thank God for giving me the strength and courage to complete this project.

I would also like to give special thanks to my teacher, Ms. Thorpe, for giving me this project. I have

learnt alot in completing this project and it has been a success.

In researching and writing this project, I have received a tremendous amount of help from family

members. I am very grateful for this help.

Title page

Introduction .1

National library2

Public library3

Special library..5

School library...6

Academic library......8

Difference between each type of library..9

This project entails the five types of library. They are the national library, public library, special

library, school library and academic library. A library is a building or room containing

collections of books, periodicals, and other materials for use or borrowing by the public or the

members of an institution. A library has many functions such as:

Providing and maintaining text and reference books

Providing daily newspapers in colleges

Providing photocopying, printing, scanning and binding facilities

Web browsing/searching facilities through digital lab and wi-fi internet facility within the

library

Providing research journals and general knowledge magazines

Providing design codes and manuals for exams

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 National library

A national library is a library established by the government of a country to serve as the

dominant source of information for the country. Unlike public libraries, the borrowing of books

by the citizens is rarely permitted. They often include various rare, valuable, or significant work.

A national library is one which is responsible for collecting and preserving the literature of the

nation within and outside the country. Therefore, national libraries are those libraries whose

community is the nation as a whole.

National libraries are usually noted for their size compared to that of other libraries within the

same country.

A picture of a national library

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 Public library

A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually financed from

public sources such as taxes. It is operated by librarians who ensure that library users find

exactly what they are looking for.

There are five major characteristics shared by public libraries. These are:

1. They are generally supported by taxes, usually local. However any level of government

can and may contribute.

2. They are governed by a board to serve the public interest.

3. They are open to all. Every community members can access the collection.

4. They are completely voluntary, in that, no one is ever forced to utilise the services

provided.

5. They provide basic services without charge.

Public libraries are found in many counties across the world and are considered a significant part

of having an educated and literate population. They are different from other libraries as their

services are not limited to a particular school, institution or research population but are available

for the general public. Some of the services offered by public libraries include:

The lending of books

Provision of reference materials for example rare books too fragile to handle, old issues

of magazines, antique maps and artefacts which must remain in public libraries.

Internet access

Public meeting spaces

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A picture of a public library

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 Special library

A special library is a library that provides specialised information resources on a particular

subject, serves specialised and limited clients and delivers specialised services to those clients.

Special libraries include corporate libraries, government libraries, law libraries, medical libraries,

museum libraries, news libraries and non-profit libraries. Special libraries also exist within

academic institutions, including law school libraries and medical school libraries. These libraries

are included as special libraries because they are often funded separately from the rest of the

university and they serve a targeted group of users.

A picture of a special library

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 School library
A school library is a library within a school where students, staff and often parents of a public or

private school have access to various resources. The aim of the school library is to ensure that all

members of the school community have rightful access to books and reading, to information and

to information technology.

The school library exists to:

Provide a range of learning opportunities for both small and large groups as well as

individuals with a focus on intellectual content information literacy and the learner.

Serve as a place for students to do independent work, use computers, equipment and

research materials, and for tutoring and testing

Function as a central location for all of the information available, and a school librarian

functions as the literary map to the resources and materials found within the library.

Function as an opportunity for educators to work with librarians in support of a resource

center for students to be able to safely access the internet for both school work and

interacting with each other.

School libraries are different from public libraries as they serve as learner-oriented laboratories

which support, extend and adapt the schools curriculum. It serves as the center and coordinating

agency for all material used in the school.

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A picture of a school library

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 Academic library

An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution which serves

two complementary purposes to support the schools curriculum and to support the research of

the university faculty and students.

Academic libraries must determine a focus for collection development since comprehensive

collections are not feasible. Librarians do this by identifying the needs of the faculty and student,

as well as the mission and academic programs of the college or university. When there are

particular areas of specialization in academic libraries these are often referred to as niche

collections. These collections are often the basis of a special collection department and may

include original paper, artwork, and artefacts written or created by a single author or about a

specific subject.

There is a great deal of variation among academic libraries based on their size, resources,

collections and services.

A picture of an academic library

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 Difference between each type of library

National library
To collect, preserve and cultivate the heritage and the culture of a country.
Public library
Provide reference materials
Access to the internet
Lend books
Public meeting spaces
Special library
Provides specialized information resources on a particular subject

School library
Provides a wide range of books and multimedia resources to support teaching and
learning throughout the key stages

Academic library
Provides support for research and educational activities in universities, institutions, and
other academic organizations

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