This Festschrift, prepared and presented to Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Elmar Mittler on the occasion of his 65th birthday, honours his achievements and his influence in Germany and internationally, as a librarian in Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Heidelberg and Gottingen, as an honorary professor, honorary doctor and ordinary, as an author and editor, as an "inspirer, creative thinker and initiator." The list of authors reads like a who's who of both the German and international library worlds, with contributions from culture and academia. The contributions themselves are dedicated to current questions and focal points concerning books, libraries and universities. A list of Elmar Mittler's writings rounds the work off."