Review of the Public Library Service in England and Wales for the Department of National Heritage

This in-depth study includes data from nine case study areas which have been subjected to detailed examination. The Review assesses the scope and value of public library services currently provided in England and Wales, with a schedule of guidelines and wide-ranging recommendations which lead to a blueprint for services in the new millennium. The Report: examines the changing world within which public libraries have to operate; incorporates significant developments in the UK and abroad over the last ten years; analyses the changing and emerging needs of the public; investigates partnerships, links with other information sectors, and the relationships between library services and other local authority services. It is essential reading for everyone who deals with the public library sector.

Contents: Summary; Schedule of recommendations; Scope and structure; The public library's environment; Users and their interests; Functions and services; Funding and control; Repercussions of change; Cooperative endeavours; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.