The new University Organization Law and its effects on Austrian libraries

Abstract

University libraries in Austria, in addition to library services for universities and for other high-level schools, have a wide range of other tasks. They function also as federal libraries in Lands where no Federal Library exists. They possess of valuable collections of historical books, and they perform museum, bibliography science and other scientific activittes as well. According to Federal Law on the Organization of Universities (1993), the independency of libraries within universities would be restricted and, as a consequence, the functions listed above would be endangered. Librarians' communities in Austria have been intervening with more or less success to turn the planned regulations into more favourable directions. The act, if it came into effect as planned, would affect not only university libraries negatively but also the whole Austrian library system and its operation. Therefore, special importance is attributed to library cooperation, and to the efforts of those affected, in order to change the situation into a positive course.