Museum libraries today: The Spanish example as paradigm

The aim of this study is to evaluate the current situation of museum libraries in Spain in order to propose some opportunities for improvement. To this end, a survey was sent to 217 Spanish museum libraries. The results reveal that the majority are public institutions, with a predominance of art and design museums, small collections, minimal staff, low budgets, a focus on traditional services, minimal presence in the main dissemination channels, limited offer of activities, and limited use of management, planning and evaluation tools. It is concluded that museum libraries need to move forward and evolve in accordance with the strategies and provisions of ICOM. This study contributes to a broader understanding of their value of these libraries.