Definition

Those which possess a collection concerning a specific discipline or field of knowledge. Specialised libraries are classified according to the institution on which they depend, as:

- Libraries of religious institutions: libraries dependent on cathedral chapters, convents, etc.
- Libraries of the administration: libraries maintained to service any organisation of the administration, department or parliament, including international, national, regional and local organisations. They may also provide service to the public in general.
- Libraries of research centres: libraries dependent on an institution dedicated to research, which have a collection that is specialised in the topic or in topics that are the target of research of the institutions on which they depend. The libraries of the Royal Academies and the university-company foundations must be included herein. This group does not include libraries of higher education institutions.
- Libraries of professional associations and schools: libraries maintained by professional associations, trade unions and other similar associations whose main objective is to offer their services to the members and workers of a certain trade or profession.
- Libraries of companies or trade firms: libraries maintained by an organisation, to cover the information needs of its workers in the development of their work.
- Libraries of archives and museums: libraries whose collections are related to the objective of the archive or museum that they serve, and which serve both workers from the Centre and researchers in that area.
- Libraries of health centres: libraries at the service of health professionals in hospitals or similar institutions. This includes libraries from both the public and the private sectors. (Libraries of pharmaceutical companies are not included here, and should be included in libraries of company or trade firms.)
- Other specialised libraries: any library not included in the previous categories.

Source

Libraries. Methodology

Topic

• Culture, sports and leisure

Statistical operations

(links to the Inventory of Statistical Operations)

• 30403 - Libraries

Concepts associated

• Central Libraries of the Autonomous Communities
• Libraries for specific groups of users (not specialised)
• Library grant-awardees
• National Library
• Professional librarians
• Public Libraries