A law for 4,590 libraries. The case of Finland as an opportunity for Spain through an analysis based on effort indicators

Abstract

An assessment is carried out within the context of international and comparative librarianship, analyzing the public library systems of Spain and Finland. The analysis is based on indicators of effort in budget, loans, and visits at the level of autonomous communities (Spain) and regions (Finland) between 2010 and 2023. The results lead to the conclusion that Finland has a highly uniform and homogeneous library system, while the situation in Spain is more variable and heterogeneous. These conclusions are connected to the fact that Finland has a national library law, whereas Spain does not. The results are contextualized for each case by examining key aspects in depth, and the question is raised as to whether a national law regulating the provision of resources for public libraries—based on criteria such as those established in Finland—would be possible, preferable, and/or effective in Spain.