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A public library (also called circulating library) is a library which is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources (such as tax money) and may be operated by civil servants. Taxing bodies for public libraries may be at any level from local to national central government level. Public libraries exist in most places in the world and are often considered an essential part of having an educated and literate population. Public libraries are distinct from research libraries, school libraries, or other special libraries in that their mandate is to serve the public’s information needs generally (rather than serve a particular school, institution, or research population), as well as offering materials for general entertainment and leisure purposes. Public libraries typically are lending libraries, allowing users to take books and other materials off the premises temporarily; they also have non-circulating reference collections. Public libraries primarily focus on popular materials such as popular fiction and movies, as well as educational and nonfiction materials of interest to the general public; computer and internet access are also often offered 
The Toronto Reference Library, centerpiece of the Toronto Public Library system 
Librarians and patrons at a library in the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County system, a large urban public library 
Panoramic view of the research room at the New York Public Library 
Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil 
Reading area in a Singapore public library 
Chorlton cum Hardy Public Library, Greater Manchester, England 
Fort Worth Central Library Learning Commons 
Fort Worth Central Library Computer Lab
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia : Public libraries |
