Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T03:43:20.284Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Law Librarians In the Federal Republic of Germany: Their Education and Prospects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2019

Hans-Peter Geh*
Affiliation:
Württembergische Landesbibliothek, D-7 Stuttgart 1, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 8. Translated by Igor I. Kavass, Professor of Law and Law Librarian, Vanderbilt University Law-School, Nashville, Tenessee, U.S.A., at the very time Gastprofessor at the Freie Universität, Berlin

Abstract

Nearly all libraries in the Federal Republic of Germany are publicly owned, and their employees are placed in the same position as government servants. Library employees enjoy the same advantages and benefits as persons engaged in other branches of government, and their conditions of service are regulated in effect by the same or similar provisions of law. As the Federal Republic of Germany is a federation of several states (Länder), competence to make laws for the regulation of government employees rests concurrently in the federal legislature and the legislatures of the individual states. In this respect there are separate laws for the regulation of federal employees and the employees of the individual state governments, but for all practical purposes such federal and state laws are substantially similar. The respective laws establish systems of different ranks for government employees and prescribe educational qualifications as well as other requirements for the entry into employment at different service levels. There are no specific federal laws for the education and admission of library employees. According to the laws of the individual states, however, library employees are divided into four categories:

  1. (1) Senior library service (Höherer Bibliotheksdienst) which is open to persons with academic qualifications (preference being given to persons with doctoral degrees according to the laws of most states) upon completion of a prescribed period of practical library training and a formal educational course in librarianship.

  2. (2) Advanced library service (Gehobener Bibliotheksdienst) which is available to persons who undertake a formal course of study in librarianship (which is different in content from the course established for the senior library service) upon completion of high school education.

  3. (3) Intermediate library service (Mittlerer Bibliotheksdienst) which does not require high school education but in several states a formal training in librarianship.

  4. (4) Subordinate library service (Einfacher Bibliotheksdienst) which does not require an secondary educational or practical qualifications.

By way of a general guide to readers, who are not familiar with the German system of library positions, it should be added that this classification system does not have precise equivalents in the Anglo-American countries. The senior and to some extent the advanced library services may, however, be compared to professional library positions, and the intermediate and subordinate service levels to supporting staff positions in the United States libraries.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © International Association of Law Libraries 1975 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 See, for example, Bundesbeamtengesetz, § 15–19; Beamtenrechtsrahmengesetz, § 11–16; and Bundeslaufbahnverordnung.Google Scholar

2 Lansky, Ralph. Die wissenschaftlichen Bibliothekare in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Bonn, Bouvier, 1971, p. 4.Google Scholar

3 Brohm, Winfried. Gegenwärtige Tendenzen in der Reform der Juristenausbildung. In: Deutsche Richterzeitung 52 (1974), p.278.Google Scholar

4 Verordnung der Landesregierung über die Ausbildung und Prüfung der Juristen im einstufigen Ausbildungsgang (EJAPO). In: Gesetzblatt für Baden-Württemberg 1975, 3 pp. 69–84.Google Scholar

5 Knittel, Eberhard. Sozialwissenschaften und Rechtspraxis in der Juristenausbildung. Marburg, Elwert, 1973.Google Scholar

Schelsky, Helmut. Nutzen und Gefahren der sozialwissensdiaftlichen Ausbildung von Juristen. In: Juristenzeitung 1974, pp. 410416.Google Scholar

6 Brohm, Winfried. Gegenwärtige Tendenzen in der Reform der Juristenausbildung. In: Deutsche Richterzeitung 52 (1974), p. 275.Google Scholar

7 Bull, Hans Peter. Einstufige Juristenausbildung im Aufbau. In: Juristische Schulung 1974, pp. 266269.Google Scholar

Kübier, Friedrich. Juristenausbildung im Zielkonflikt. Konstanz, Universitätsverlag, 1971. (Konstanzer Universitätsreden. 41.)Google Scholar

Lenz, Carl Otto, Überlegungen zur Juristenausbildung. In: Deutsche Richterzeitung 1974, pp. 142146.Google Scholar

Neue Juristenausbildung. Materialien des Loccumer Arbeitskreises zur Reform der Juristenausbildung. Neuwied und Berlin, Luchterhand, 1970. Reform der Juristenausbildung. Aus den parlamentarischen Beratungen der öffentlichen Anhörung des Rechtsausschusses des Deutschen Bundestages und aus Diskussionen. Bonn, Presse und Informationszentrum des Deutschen Bundestages, 1971. (Zur Sache. 5.)Google Scholar

Böhm, Wolfgang. Die einstufige Juristenausbildung in Bremen – Zwischen Reform und Reformation. In: Juristische Schulung 1974, pp. 679681.Google Scholar

Der neue Jurist. Materialien zur reformierten Juristenausbildung in Bremen.Google Scholar

Darmstadt und Neuwied, Luchterhand, 1973. (Demokratie und Rechtsstaat. 22.) (Sammlung Luchterhand. 109.)Google Scholar

Rinken, Alfred. Die einstufige Juristenausbildung in Bremen. In: Juristische Schulung 1974, pp. 538542.Google Scholar

Böhm, Wolfgang. Einstufige Juristenausbildung in Hamburg. In: Juristische Schulung 1974, pp. 815820.Google Scholar

Achterberg, Norbert. Reform der juristischen Ausbildung und Gesamthochschule. In: Juristenzeitung, 1974, pp. 165172.Google Scholar

8 Brohm (supra note 6), p. 273.Google Scholar

9 For the “Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsordnungen” of the individual states see Lansky, Ralph. Bibliotheksrechtliche Vorschriften. 2. Aufl. mit Erg.-Bd. 1. 2. Frankfurt a. M., Klostermann 1969–1974.Google Scholar

10 Lansky, Ralph. Bibliotheksrechtliche Vorschriften. 2. Auflage Erg.-Bd. 2, Frankfurt a. M., Klostermann 1974, p. 154.Google Scholar

11 Krieg, Werner. Bibliothekar (höherer Dienst an wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken). Bielefeld, Bertelsmann. 4. Aufl. 1974, p. 20. (Blätter zur Berufskunde. 3.)Google Scholar

12 Krieg, Werner. Bibliothekar (höherer Dienst an wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken). Bielefeld, Bertelsmann. 4. Aufl. 1974, pp. 2123. (Blätter zur Berufskunde. 3.)Google Scholar

13 Lansky, Ralph. Libraries for Law in the Federal Republic of Germany: Facts and Plans. 3 International Journal of Law Libraries 49 (1975).Google Scholar

14 Vorschläge für die künftige Ausbildung des höheren, gehobenen und mittleren Dienstes an wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken. Regensburg, Verein Deutscher Bibliothekare e. V., pp. 425.Google Scholar