Libraries in continental Europe: the 40s and the 90s

Purpose - Part of the "JDoc at 60" series, this paper aims to discuss, evaluate and compare writings on the state of libraries in Continental Europe in the 1940s and the 1990s. Design/methodology/approach - Four papers published in journal of Documentation, three from 1945 and one from 1994, are analysed and compared, and their significance discussed. Findings - Finds that there are similarities and differences between the situation facing European libraries at the end of the 1939-1945 war, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Originality/value - Both historical and current policy perspectives are included.