Proposal:Library Types

Library Types
Proposal status:	Obsoleted (inactive)
Proposed by:	Andrewth1
Tagging:	library:users=*
Applies to:
Definition:	To indicate the type of user that may utilize a library's services
Statistics:
Draft started:	2025-07-27
RFC start:	2025-07-30

Obsolete

This proposal has been superseded by Proposal:Lending

Revisions based on community feedback

• Consolidated values university, college, school into academic to eliminate US-specific distinctions between educational institutions.
• Clarified the use of access=* tag combinations.
• Added deprecation of library:type=* to the proposal to improve standardization and avoid duplication
• Clarified that library card requirements do not automatically disqualify libraries from being tagged as public

Proposal

• Introduce a new key library:users=* to indicate the type of library (i.e. which groups of people the library is intended for). To be used in combination with amenity=library.
• Deprecate library:type=*

Rationale

library=* (482 occurrences) and library:type=* (239 occurrences) are occasionally used, but they are neither approved nor documented. Values are not standardized either, and can range from academic to Tool_Library. This is likely because the word "type" can have many different interpretations, which is why the more specific key library:users=* is proposed. library:type=* is a good candidate for deprecation because it is lightly used and there are no known projects that rely on it.

operator:type=* is sometimes used to describe what type of entity operates a library. The problem is that this says nothing about who may use the library. For example, public libraries are not necessarily operated by a government. They may be operated by a school, university, or nonprofit. Such arrangements are common in rural areas where there are not enough resources to operate separate libraries for multiple user groups. There should be a way to clearly indicate that these types of libraries are in fact public. Additionally, there is inconsistent usage of operator:type=public vs operator:type=government since there are many different library management structures. Creating new tags would eliminate the problems associated with using operator:type=* to classify libraries.

access=* exists, but it is conventionally used to indicate who may physically access a feature (i.e. whether or not there a sign prohibiting entry, locked door, or ID check). In the context of libraries, this definition is problematic. For example, university library buildings are often open to the public despite not providing circulation and research services to the public. There are also some government-operated libraries which are open to the public but require permission to access most in-person services (e.g. the US Library of Congress).

Tagging

library:users=*

This key indicates the intended user groups for a library.

Values

Value	Description	Examples
public	A library that is open to the general public. Offers all services to the public, which may include reading, circulation, computer access, and research assistance. Note: Even if a library card is required for circulation, the library should still be tagged as public as long as local residents can obtain library cards without restrictions.	Arlington Central Library Biblioteca Vasconcelos Münchner Stadtbibliothek Ninilchik Community Library (privately operated public library) LaMoure School and Public Library (joint school/public library)
academic	A library that offers services to the students and faculty of a specific educational institution. If the building is physically open to the public, add access=yes. If building entry is restricted to students only (e.g. locked door, ID check), add access=private. Note: Some school libraries in rural areas offer circulation services to the public. If this is the case, use library:users=public instead.	Phillips Exeter Academy Library Suzzallo Library (open to the public) Odegaard Undergraduate Library (open to students only) NVCC Alexandria Campus Library Skillman Library
government	A library that serves a specific governmental purpose (such as collecting medical studies). Offers in-person services to government employees and professional researchers. If the building is physically open to the public, add access=yes. If building entry is restricted to authorized persons only (e.g. locked door, ID check), add access=private.	National Agricultural Library National Library of Medicine
private	A library that offers services to specific individuals only. If the building is physically open to the public, add access=yes. If building entry is restricted to members only, add access=private.	The Mercantile Library

Rendering

This tag could allow public libraries to be rendered separately from other types of libraries, which would be helpful for consumer mapping applications.

Features/Pages affected

• This tag can be added to existing features with the tag amenity=library.
• If approved, use of the key library:type=* will be discouraged in documentation related to libraries.

External discussions

https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/rfc-feature-proposal-library-types/133424

Comments

Please comment on the discussion page.