Library Systems in international comparison - Results from an online survey

This paper reports selected results of an empirical study where library executives from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as from Great Britain and the USA, were consulted with respect to the future of the library system. The latter two countries were selected since they are frequently considered in international comparisons because of their model fonction. Apart from the evaluation of the current country-specific situation, the judgment of alternative future scenarios regarding their probability of occurrence constituted the main focus of this questioning. The concurrences and differences resulting from the individual estimates can be helpful when carrying out strategic planning in the German library system.