The Hungarian Academy, the French Embassy, the Embassy for the Low Countries, the Swiss Embassy, the British Council, the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Goethe Institute in Rome, the Polish Institute, the Slovak Institute and the Swiss Institute in Rome, in collaboration with the directorate of the Libraries of Rome with the aim of opening participation to all countries in the European Union are working together to set up a European Library (la Biblioteca Europea) in the city of Rome. The aim of the library is to promote national cultures and languages, contribute to the constitution of Europe and build an awareness of Europen identity in citizens from both Italy and other countries.
The political process that led to the establishment of the European Union - recently enlarged to 25
countries and soon to open to further new members – with its sharing of a common currency, and its
growing capacity to partecipate on the world scene with a common political, economic and values
policy, also has a cultural dimension. Numerous community activities have been and are being carried
out to preserve and promote the cultures of European citizens and to give culture a major role in the
co-operative construction of Europe.
The sharing of knowledge and art helps to develop the awareness of a common identity, the sense of
belonging to a community on a continental scale, in European citizens.
In order to build an awareness of cultural diversity and develop a strong relationship between
languages and cultures, concrete actions are required both within individual national territories and
beyond. These activities need to be founded on the principle of co-operation between the various
organisations within the countries of the European Union to share cultural and artistic heritages and
professional experience.
At present the need for physical materials is satisfied, at least in part, by the numerous libraries
situated all over Europe, and users can consult the online catalogues of individual libraries and library
networks via the Internet; libraries are also in the process of digitalizing the most important parts of
their collections so that they can be accessed at a distance.
As far as culture and libraries are concerned, the cultural institutes and services of the diplomatic
representatives of the European Union countries are beginning to feel the need to extend their
activities and find new ways to express their European as well as their national cultures.
In this context, the cultural institutes in Rome, in co-operation with the directorate of the Rome Public
Libraries, aim to respond to the demand for knowledge and cultural relations between European
citizens and the citizens’ urgent need to learn new languages, as well as to improve their knowledge
of the most commonly used European languages, by setting up a European Library.
The European Library of Rome therefore, as well as being a physical space with a collection of materials,
will also be an ACCESS POINT for knowledge about European cultures and languages hence acting
as a PROTOTYPE for future “European libraries” with similar aims in other European cities
At the same time it could provide a model for “European Language and Culture Institutes” through
which the European Union might organise its cultural presence in extra-European countries
in the future.
The general policy of the European Library will be established by a Scientific Committee that will be
fully representative of the cultural organisations taking part in the project.
The aim of the project is to establish a public structure in the Italian capital that promotes the national
The European Library in Rome
cultures and languages of Europe - with the active participation of the cultural institutes and services
of the EU countries in Rome - that contributes to the formation of an awareness of a European identity
in citizens from Italy and other countries.
The European Library will not be a specialised centre or a research library. It will be, to all effects, a
public library within the Rome city library system.
It will not open as a complete “finished product”, but as an organic structure that will grow and develop
according to the needs of its users.
Although it will make use of advanced technologies, the strong
point of the European Library will be its reference service, able to guide and support its users to access
resources.
The specific objectives of the European Library are to:
set up a materials collection of about 28,000 volumes;
establish a European Library web site that will provide information, be an example of good practice
and give visibility to the library and its founders, as well as offering services to its users;
set up a Children’s Section that, through specific activities, will develop an awareness of European
citizenship in children and young adults;
organise a programme of events that promote European culture and art and encourage intercultural
dialogue, with particular attention to new accession countries;
promote the exchange and spread of knowledge and experience amongst information professionals
in Europe.
The European Library project is jointly planned and organised by the cultural institutes and services of the European countries with diplomatic representatives in Rome and the directorate of the Rome Public Library Service. Project founders: the directorate of the Rome Public Library Service, the Hungarian Academy, the French Embassy, the Embassy for the Low Countries, the Swiss Embassy, the British Council, Rome, the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Goethe Institute, Rome, the Rome Cervantes Institute, the Swiss Institute of Rome, the Polish Institute and the Slovak Institute in Rome. Partners: a) All the cultural institutes and services of the 25 countries of the European Union with offices in Rome. b) Other EU accession countries or countries which have close ties with the EU.
The European Library will be open to all Roman and Italian citizens; but also to foreigners who are looking for information about Italy in their own languages or want to read newspapers from their own countries. Young people and students are the library’s primary target group: this generation have had the opportunity to study and work thanks to European funding. They are the first group to see themselves as “European”, often having lived – some of them for quite long periods – and moved around within Europe. Children and teenages will also be an important target group since they will be the Europeans of tomorrow.
Management
The European Library project, which has been planned and organised by European cultural institutes in
Rome and the city’s library directorate, represents a focal point of European co-operation.
It will be part of the library network of the Rome City Council, and will as such be a public library with a
specialist theme.
Its scientific and cultural policy will be established by a Scientific Committee that will represent all the
countries involved.
The technical and day to day administration of the European Library will be carried out by the
directorate of the Libraries of Rome (Comune di Roma – Istituzione Biblioteche) which will take full
responsibility to provide the staff necessary for the efficient running of the library.
The cultural institutes will take an active part in the administration of the library and may make
available resources (in the form of language competencies, staff experience,materials and other
services).
The Collections
The collection of the European Library will contain approximately 28,000 volumes which will be
selected with the help of the European cultural institutes and diplomatic representatives in Rome
involved in the project. Each founder will help to choose a number of titles that represent the culture of
their individual countries and play a part in the formation of a European identity.
It is hoped that the multi-culturality of the collection will express a “transnational” culture, the sign of
a common identity, which reflects the values of a peaceful, co-operative Europe, open to dialogue with
other cultures.
The collection will be representative of all European countries, with equal dignity, and it will be “open”
to accept materials from countries that might join the Union at a future date.
The collection will not substitute the collections already held by the various European cultural
institutes in Rome, but it will will allow the institutes to promote and publicise their collections
and services and make them available to a larger public.
The collection of the European Library aims to satisfy its users’ needs for primary information
and general documentation and guide its users on how to find further detail.
Italian will be the operating language of the library.The main nucleus of the the collection will be texts
in the four main European languages –- English, French, German and Spanish – to which will be added
materials from the various language-cultures represented.
70% of the collection will be in foreign languages and 30% in Italian (translations of works from
member countries, reference works, history, geography, law and information and guides about each
country). There will also be bibliographical and audiovisual resources in the above mentioned
languages.
Services
A characteristic of the European Library will be the integration of its collection with digital access.
Information available on Internet (catalogues,web sites) will be selected and presented via special
pathways. In particular the library will provide basic information on member states (culture, society, art,
law, history, geography, economy, language) through access to catalogues from their cultural institutes
and national libraries, providing a background that goes from the elementary to the specialist.
Services
• basic information
• on site consultation
• local loans
• interlibrary loans
• advanced reference
• bibliographic consultancy
• periodicals section
• cultural events and other initiatives
• language promotion activities
Children’s Library
The European Library will play a role in the education of the Europeans of tomorrow through its
Children’s Section.
The Children’s section will be a dedicated,well defined, comfortable and informal space that
encourages young people to browse and read individually, together or in the company of adults.
The basis of the collection will give an overview of the countries in the EU, underlining each country’s
particular characteristics and historical and cultural heritage. According to the various ideas, authors
and publishing proposals the library will suggest pathways to deepen knowledge or guide young
people on themes that are of particular interest to their specific age groups in European countries, as
well as publicising the possibilities for exchanges and reciprocal activities.
Services
• consultation
• loans
• a specific reference service, which can advise young people on the library resources
and on how to find information
• a periodicals section
• activities to encourage reading, in connection to other activities going on in the adult library
• partnership schemes with schools to support and emphasise the importance of European languages
and the social and cultural wealth of individual countries from an intercultural point of view.
Web Site
A European Library web site will be set up which, as well as describing the aims and objectives, listing
the founders and the collection policy, will above all give information about the services and activities
of both the library and its partners.
The site will be mainly used to deliver services such as catalogue access, bibliographical indications,
online membership, interlibrary loans, virtual reference etc..
The site will be set up some months before the opening of the library to be used for promotion and
communication about the European Library and allow virtual access to the world of European cultures.
Cultural events and initiatives
In the spirit of European co-operation that distinguishes it, the European Library will make its logo
available for the promotion of the cultural events and initiatives of its partners whenever these are
deemed relevant to its objectives. Naturally the countries and Institutes concerned will retain
ownership of the events.
Activities and events will follow themes which are of common interest or which provide opportunities
to develop the collection.
The European Library will act as a “shop window”on the various European countries and allow
comparisons, contrasts and the exchange of ideas.
A strong point of the library will be its temporary exhibitions with specially selected displays.
The activities will be based on various cultural themes, meetings, interchanges and dialogues between
different disciplines and different countries, above all on subjects of European debate.
Members of staff of the European Library will speak at least two other European languages: this will be extremely important for reference services. As well as possessing qualifications as information professionals, they will also need experience in the organisation of cultural events and in research on cultural issues in Italy and Europe. It will be important for staff to co-operate professionally with librarians and other information professionals and the staff of the European cultural institutes. The European Library will call on the help of staff from Roman and other universities, and Italian and foreign students, to carry out specific research projects and to monitor and support the library both as it is set up and as it evolves.
The European Library will be situated in the present Goethe Institut Library in via Savoia 15, Rome. The library is a single building with two floors, connected by a central staircase, covering an area of about 600 square metres. There is an independent entrance on the ground floor. The library is made up of the following areas: the issue desk (for information, enrolments, loans, cloakroom); catalogues; a display area; a periodicals section, a book and reading room; a media library and a children’s section. Use of the areas is conceeded to the Rome Public Libraries Directorate under a special agreement with the Goethe Institut.
The European Library will have its own logo, which will make its services and activities immediately recognizable, guarantee the quality of these services and activities and serve as a promotion tool. Events and activities financed by project partners (cultural institutes) that serve the aims of the European Library can also use the logo. The Scientific Committee will define the criteria by which permission will be given to use the logo. The cultural institutes and diplomatic representatives will be able to use the logo for any cultural initiatives which are relevant to the objectives of the European Library. In all other cases permission must be obtained from the Scientific Committee for use of the logo.
