Library system

This article is about the co-ordination of library branches. For the software used to manage library operations, see Integrated library system.

Reading room at McKim Building in 2013

A library system is a central organization created to manage and coordinate operations and services in or between different centers, buildings or libraries branches and library patrons. They use a library classification to organize their volumes and nowadays also use an Integrated library system - an enterprise resource planning system for a library used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed. Many counties, states and universities have developed their own library systems. For example, the London Public Library in Canada has 16 branches, and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries, in Finland, has 63 libraries. Some countries, such as Venezuela, have only one library system for the whole country; the National Library of Venezuela has 685 branches.

See also

• List of largest libraries