Information and data

Biblioteques de Barcelona, a local service

The library network provides every city resident with free access to information and knowledge and promotes reading. It does this through its open and varied collections and programmes, in connection with other cultural, social and educational players in the territory. Libraries are amenities that look to the future, with a strong commitment to providing new technology access, training and use.

The staff at each library carry out guidance and selection work at a professional level. They offer personalised help in research, to attend to users when they do no know what or where to search.

Open and quality spaces

Libraries are locally based, public social centres open to everyone. They foster relations between users and participation in activities. Their service charters ensure democratic access to information, conveying knowledge, training, ongoing education, self-education and leisure. They are active, boosting, revitalising spaces, cultural benchmarks in the territory and capable of adapting themselves to the demands of the public and of progressing to detecting informational, training and cultural requirements.

Access to knowledge

Evey library in the city offers a package of common basic services. This standardised catalogue is included with each amenity's specific services. Local establishments and collection specialisation end up defining each library's personality.

Documentary resources in various media, both hardcopy and digital, are one of the gateways to culture and learning that the library gives users access to.

User diversity

Libraries are inter-generational services that have a great impact on the public.

Some 50% of the city's residents have a library card. Users go to libraries on foot, and do so eight times a year on average. Women overtake men by almost ten points when it comes to library subscribers (55% women / 45% men). As for adults, the most frequent users are people who work, have an average level of education and a good knowledge of technologies. Over 22% of library subscribers are originally from outside the EU, a similar percentage to the one which represents the city's residents.

A cooperative, participatory and innovative library model

Libraries offer relational, open spaces and promote collective shared-learning initiatives. They are actively connected to the city's cultural and festival calendar and are committed to the city's social cohesion.

Various participatory bodies are tasked with defining the necessary strategies for achieving the two landmarks, quality and wide-ranging availability, based on spotting readers' requirements, possible service gaps and future challenges.