· 1 min read
A corporate library is a library that belongs to a company or organisation rather than to the public. Banks, law firms, hospitals, engineering firms and research organisations often keep one. It is sometimes called a special library, an information centre or a knowledge centre.
Its collection is shaped by the work the organisation does. A bank may keep financial reports, regulations and market research. A law firm keeps statutes, case reports and legal commentary. An engineering firm keeps standards, technical manuals and past project documents.
Beyond books, a corporate library often holds the organisation’s own knowledge: reports, policies, training material and records of past work. Keeping these in one organised place means staff do not have to rebuild what a colleague already found out.
The people who run it do more than lend books. They search for information on request, manage subscriptions to journals and databases, and teach staff how to find reliable sources quickly. In a busy office, an hour saved on research is an hour back for the actual work.
Even with so much online, a good corporate library still earns its place. Search engines return a great deal; a library returns what is relevant, current and trustworthy, organised so it can be found again.
