Public libraries in Luxembourg:
- LOCAL LIBRARIES [marked Black]: Differdange, Dudelange, Esch/Alzette, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg, Schengen (Schwebsange) & Troisvierges.
- PUBLIC ASSOCIATION LIBRARIES / COMMUNITY LIBRARIES – marked Blue: Lux.-Bonnevoie, Eschdorf, Ettelbruck, Junglinster, Mersch, Vianden, Wasserbillig, Wiltz. Marked Green = special language promotion association libraries (dut, ita, mul, spa & ukr) & 1 Foreign state (por) funded public library.
Notes: The last catholic public library (Luxembourg-Limpertsberg) closed in September 2020. The community library of Troisvierges was municipalised the 01.07.2022. The Ukrainian community library, inaugurated the 15.06.2022 in Luxembourg-Rollingergrund, has been added recently, after having proved its first years of viability.
State of the 19.03.2024 / Map: Statec
The public library – definition, cited after the IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto, 18.07.2022
The public library is the local centre of information, making all kinds of knowledge and information readily available to its users. It is an essential component of knowledge societies, continuously adapting to new means of communication to fulfil their mandate of providing universal access to and enabling meaningful use of information for all people. It provides publicly accessible space for the production of knowledge, sharing and exchange of information and culture, and promotion of civic engagement.
Libraries are creators of community, proactively reaching out to new audiences and using effective listening to support the design of services that meet local needs and contribute to improving quality of life. The public has trust in their library, and in return, it is the ambition of the public library to proactively keep their community informed and aware.
The services of the public library are provided on the basis of equality of access for all, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, language, social status, and any other characteristic. Specific services and materials must be provided for those users who cannot, for whatever reason, use the regular services and materials, for example linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, poor digital or computer skills, poor literacy abilities or people in hospital or prison.
All age groups must find material relevant to their needs. Collections and services have to include all types of appropriate media and modern technologies as well as traditional materials. High quality, relevance to local needs and conditions, and reflective of the language and cultural diversity of the community are fundamental. Material must reflect current trends and the evolution of society, as well as the memory of human endeavour and imagination.
Collections and services should not be subject to any form of ideological, political or religious censorship, nor commercial pressures.