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Denmark Library History

 * Denmark’s Royal Library was created in the 1650s by Fredrick III as his personal library and “grew in the 17th and 18th centuries through the acquisition of such collections as the ducal library of Gottorp and those of O. *Thott and Henrik Hielmstierne. In 1793 access was opened to the public, and in 1849 the library became state property”.
 * The Royal Library was expanded in 1992 for the purpose of creating “much better access to the collection than is the case today, as well as ensuring the long-term preservation of the collections”. This expansion also allowed the Library to take advantage of the “great potential offered by new information technology".


 * In 2004, Denmark began experimenting with “open libraries”, or libraries that remain open after the staff has left for the day. These libraries, which numbered more than 250 in 2013, allow visitors to “unlock the door” and access collections. “Access is typically by way of a borrower’s ticket or the medical card that every Dane possesses, or a special borrower’s ticket”. This experiment has been successful, due to the respect visitors have for libraries and the sense of “ownership” this program instills in its community.


 * In the 1960’s, libraries in Denmark began to offer different social programs. These programs have many goals including to “disseminate literature and increase book loans”, “promote the library as something more than books”, provide an “inclusive means to community building”, shape “the library profile as a meeting place”, and build a  community. Today, they can be viewed as “experiences in themselves” that are viewed as worthwhile by their communities for their own sake.

National Library Today
The National Library, Det Kgl. Bibliotek has four main stated goals:
 * As a university library, Det Kgl. Bibliotek provides services that support research and education at Aarhus University, the IT University of Copenhagen, the University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University.”
 * As a national library, Det Kgl. Bibliotek collects, preserves and provides access to cultural heritage via texts, images and audio, in both physical and digital form.
 * As a loan centre for the Danish public libraries, Det Kgl. Bibliotek provides service that supplements the public libraries’ service offerings to citizens.
 * As a research institution, Det Kgl. Bibliotek increases knowledge and awareness of the Danish cultural heritage.