HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPTS OF PUBLIC LIBRARY, LIBRARY SYSTEM AND LIBRARY POLICY

Abstract

This paper takes a historical approach to the definitions of library, public library, library system, and library policy, analyzing different meanings for these concepts and their evolution from the 18th Century to the present. It also presents some examples of the Spanish situation which contributes with a framework to understand the social manifestation of the situation of publicly owned book collections. It concludes with the need to understand the concepts analyzed within the socio-historical context in which they are originated, applied and evolved, as well as the need to take into account a broader framework of study within social history research of written culture.