More than a library . Place for everything, for everybody, all in one place

Abstract

The Oswiecim library – the library with vision – may serve as an example of a positive change in library service. Libraries of the 21st. Century must be more than just a place where to rent books – they must serve as social and cultural centres for members of local communities. Public library – regardless of its localisation: be it a small town, a village or a metropolitan city – must accommodate everybody and everything. It must serve as a meeting place, provide space for the exchange of thoughts, intellectual development and relaxation. BOOK GALLERY in Oswiecim is a functional and intelligent centre, as well as a lasting platform for inter-cultural and multi-generation communal activities that fulfill various needs: intellectual, cultural, emotional and integrational. We use new communication and information technologies and provide free access to knowledge and science – this is how we support the development of our local community. With the use of those unconventional methods in service to our users, we have become indispensable ‘link’ in solidifying ties with our community.