Libraries in continental Europe: the 40s and the 90s

Purpose – Part of the “JDoc at 60” series, this paper aims to discuss, evaluate and compare writings on the state of libraries in Continental Europe in the 1940s and the 1990s.Design/methodology/approach – Four papers published in Journal of Documentation, three from 1945 and one from 1994, are analysed and compared, and their significance discussed.Findings – Finds that there are similarities and differences between the situation facing European libraries at the end of the 1939‐1945 war, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union.Originality/value – Both historical and current policy perspectives are included.