ESC: Volunteering in the public library and maker space Wr. Neustadt

This application concerns theCentral Library, this library is both a public and a scientific library. This type of facility has been in operation in Wiener Neustadt since 2019, with a wide range of libraries accessible to students, employees of the university of applied sciences and public users at two locations. The offer goes beyond borrowing media, so there are also many offers in the event area and workshop area, such as readings and reading hours. The library premises can also be used as a place to meet, learn and work. The library sees the population of Wiener Neustadt and the surrounding area, as well as all members of educational institutions in and around Wiener Neustadt as target groups. We are actively committed to establishing contact with target groups that are only little integrated into public life in a city, such as retirement homes or homes for people with disabilities. The goal is to be a library for everyone - all in the sense that target groups should also be addressed who are currently far from the library. But being a library for everyone also means getting out of the library and approaching target groups, for example with activities such as “reading in the park”. The Central Library is spatially integrated into the city campus of the university of applied sciences, which means that the infrastructure of the university of applied sciences can also be used. On a large area in the library, it is possible for the library staff to hold a wide variety of events in various settings.The core team of the library in the center consists of 10 specialists with in-depth library training and, in some cases, pedagogical training. In addition, from September 2021 three student assistants and from October 2021 one person from a job-creating measure will support the library team at the center. The library currently has a total of four locations, one in Tulln, another in Wieselburg and two in Wiener Neustadt. The location (C1) for the faculties of health, technology, sport and safety is managed as an open library for students and employees of the University of Applied Sciences, the location at the City Campus is managed as a public and scientific library; the largest faculty of the university is also located here who have favorited the Faculty of Business. The library in the center has a media inventory of approx. 80,000 print media at the City Campus location and approx. 25,000 at the C1 location. The library is open to the public from Monday to Saturday and in the summer months from Tuesday to Saturday. The use of the library, the media and attending the events are free of charge for the users. This offer is important in order to break down barriers on the way to the library for everyone or to prevent them from arising in the first place. The main tasks of the library in the center are divided into, on the one hand, media support and, on the other hand, increasingly into the range of events. The library in the center is increasingly planning to step outside in order to be accessible to target groups who cannot always easily reach the library, such as residents of old people's homes or people in residential areas with only few offers.