Definitions
National Library
All special libraries, including National Libraries, are derivatives of the tradition library as was known throughout the ages. Therefore, to fully define a National Library, it is necessary to first define a “library” upon which all other types are derived. History has shown that libraries have been in existence some two thousand years before the birth of Christ, consisting of collections of thousands of clay tablets which comprehensive in scope and coverage, and well organized (Thompson 1977). Later collections would change in response to user need and would include, among others, printed books, journals, and audio and visual resources. Today’s libraries are defined as organized collections in both the physical and virtual environments, consisting of resources in print and electronic formats, and showcasing libraries as institutions of change and adaptability (Crawford 2015, p. xiv).
Based on the above, a National Library can be defined as one with all...
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Walker, B. (2021). National Libraries and Their Role as Agents for Equality. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Özuyar, P.G., Wall, T. (eds) Reduced Inequalities. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71060-0_119-1
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