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NTRODUCTION

The time flies, it seems that we have just celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Voivodeship Public Library in Opole, but in fact, another decade has passed and the library is now sixty years old. We wanted to emphasize and commemorate the anniversary, and so the idea of this particular publication was bom.

The history of the library has been madę by its employees and is, in a way, a test of everything that we can remember. In this book we try to show how from the library created from scratch in 1951 a new one has emerged - a library that is now a multifunctional institution that coordinates the activities of public libraries in the region. The Voivodeship Public Library is a modem library possessing scientific status, with a collection that is the reason why it has been placed on a list of Polish institutions constituting the National Library Collection.

The changes in the library are constant. The Strategy of the Development of the Voivodeship Public Library in Opole that was drawn up for the next ten years madę us realize both the strong and weak sides of the library, as well as the opportunities and dangers connected with its development. Furthermore, the strategy showed the aspects that we would like to improve, so as to create a library that not only Stores various collections (thus preserving the cultural output and making information available), but also grants access to high quality digital collections, and is a place of inspiring meetings and cultural events.

The reflection conceming the past and the futurę of the library gives me the chance to State that we would not have achieved anything without the commitment of the previous and current employees. Bearing this in mind I would like to thank and give my regards to all concemed.

I would also like to thank the Voivodeship authorities for the organizational and financial help as well as express my gratitude to all who express concem for the well-being of the library in Opole.

Tadeusz Chrobak

Director of the Voivodeship Public Library in Opole