"Library" in German: Bibliothek, Bücherei

Question

I know two translations of library into German: "Bibliothek" and "Bücherei".

• Bibliothek = "systematisch geordnete Sammlung von Büchern" or "Aufbewahrungsort für eine systematisch geordnete Sammlung von Büchern" - DWDS.

• Bücherei = "Aufbewahrungsort einer Büchersammlung, kleinere (öffentliche) Bibliothek" - DWDS.

From a simple search it is clear that "Bibliothek" is ten times more in use than "Bücherei".

Hypothesis: city library is Stadtbücherei, while university library is Universitätbibliothek. I think it is like that. Or can I call a city library a Stadtbibliothek and a university library a Universitätbücherei?

Answer 1

Bücherei is an older, simpler, non-foreign expression, not being used in academic circles; apart from that, they are largely synonyms. (Bücherei always refers to a public library, whereas a Bibliothek can be private, too.) Stadtbibliothek is totally fine (but not Universitätsbücherei), meaning that Bücherei is the narrower term.

Answer 2

From my experience ...

Bibliothek is a collection of books or an institution that administers that collection or a Bücherei.

A personal collection of books can also be called Bibliothek. But that may originate from an ancient joke, like calling a purse a treasury. I´m a librarian´s son; I´ll ask.

Bücherei, afaik, is a place where the books are stored and administered. It definitely is the narrower term.

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From my mother, the librarian:

The term Bücherei first came up when artisan guilds set up libraries for their members. The term is used for non-private libraries, i.e. libraries that are run by an institution of some kind, be it open to the public or only to selected people (e.g. a Schulbücherei where only teachers and pupils of that school have access). Bücherei is also the term for the institution that runs that library, if that is its sole purpose.

Bibliothek is not only the broader term, but formerly mostly used for classic libraries, where collecting and preserving literature is the focus (so that it´s there when you need it), while Bücherei is primarily used for libraries where the focus lies on using the books.

The main difference in brief:
A Bibliothek collects books that may be needed.
A Bücherei keeps those that are needed (and dumps those that are not).

Nowadays, they are generally used as synonyms, and there are a lot of former "Städtische Bücherei" that are now a "Städtische Bibliothek".

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I suppose that´s because Bibliothek sounds more sophisticated ... and people are forgetting the difference between the two. But actually, they are synonyms: one Greek, one German.

Answer 3

On the first view there is no difference between a Bibliothek and a Bücherei

The word „Bibliothek“ has Greek sources ( βιβλιοθήκη (biblio-thḗkē)). Wikipedia tells, the Bücherei is a calque from dutch (1658 by Johann Amos Comenius). Another article in wikipedia mentions Philipp von Zesen as the creator of the word Bücherei. The Spiegel mentions also Philipp von Zesen as the creator of the Bücherei.

As a conclusion you may say, Bibliothek is a more sophisticated word and is used in more intellectual context (a university library or the private library of a well educated person with high-minded books). The Bücherei is more used for 'ordinary' book collection.

To avoid misunderstandings: Both words have a positive meaning. If you say, you go to a Bücherei you give a well educated image of you (you read books instead of looking TV). But there is also a big chance, that you look for a book for your leisure time. In a Bibliothek you get boot for professional reasons. But is is a smooth transition.

Answer 4

Well a "Bücherei" is always a place/building where people can read or lend books. This need not be true for a "Bibliothek". Maybe you have a friend with a large collection of books - you will say "He has a Bibliothek" you will not say "He has a Bücherei".