Volume 33, Issue 4

After a construction period of only two and a half years, the new campus library of the combinded library system of the Fulda University for Apllied Scienes and the region became operational. With this activity the 10 year lasting reconstruction period came to an end.

The library of the University of Education in Freiburg implemented a Quality Management System on the basis of DIN ISO 9001:2008 and passed successfully a certification process under the responsibility of TÜV SÜD Management GmbH. This was done to optimize the organizational structure and to increase the services of the library. This contribution starts with the definition of the term “quality”, and gives an overview concerning the application of Quality Management Systems in German libraries. Focused on the situation in the Freiburg library, the preparational tasks as well as the practical implementation and the processing of the final “certification audit” are described. Finally the achieved results are evaluated in a positive manner on the basis of costs and benefits.

The new building of the Library & Learning Center of the University of Economics in Vienna was opened on November 7 2013. Described are the basic structure as well as the important constructional and functional attributes of this architectural unusual building.