Public libraries and vulnerable categories of users

Abstract

This study deals with a current concept, that of social inclusion, in relation to the public library – an institution with a strong civic responsibility. Regarding the need of aligning with the dynamics of society, the library is constantly undergoing successive changes, assuming new roles and transforming from a passive space for documents storage, to an active centre for social interaction, a community space, a place of diversity and dialogue, a meeting place for all members of a community. The role of public library in facilitating the process of social inclusion, namely the inclusion of vulnerable people in the community, can be considerable, but the relationship between these concepts is still little explored, at least in the Romanian bibliographic landscape. The second part of this study presents a brief typology of vulnerable people in Romania. The choice of the described categories starts from the main problems facing the Romanian society at the moment, the emphasis being placed on the needs of vulnerable people and on the role that public libraries can have in satisfying them.