The Budget of the Federal Republic of Germany as a Source for Library and Information Policy

The article examines the budgetary financing of the German library and information policy based on the analysis of expenditure items of the federal budget of the Federal Republic of Germany. The expediency of referring to the German federal budget as a source for library and information policy is substantiated in connection with the significance of the Federal Budget Law in the system of regulatory legal acts of Germany, the role of budget policy research in understanding German federalism and the relevance of library differentiation by funding sources. The history, structure and programs of the main generators of the German library and information policy are presented: the Office of the Commissioner of the Federal Government for Culture and Mass Media, the Federal Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of the Interior and Community. Particular attention is paid to the financing of organizations and foundations that promote liberal and democratic values. When describing the activities of the Office of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Mass Media, funding data are provided and the functionality of such funds as the Foundation for Authentic Places in the History of Democracy, the German Center for the Loss of Cultural Values, organizations and cultural centers related to the history of anti-Semitism in Germany, for example, the Jewish Museum in Berlin, is described. Through the Federal Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, traditionally associated with significant state projects (nuclear energy and water management, space industry), funding of library institutions is carried out through the programs “The Beginning of Reading 1-2-3†for preschoolers, “Educational Chains†for school[1]children and students and “BMBF Jobstarter†for adult citizens. The importance of the service of the state recommendation bibliography for libraries – “EKZ Library Service†is shown. The Ministry of the Interior and Community, conducts its propaganda activities through the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Response, as well as the Federal Center for Political Education. The article substantiates the thesis about the unity and synergy of the library and information policy of modern Germany.