ABSTRACT
Public Libraries in the 21st Century presents a comprehensive analysis of the impact of recent policy initiatives directly targeted at public libraries along with broader developments in the public sector environment within which they operate. Key features include: ¢ An exploration of the context within which public libraries are operating and analysis of their role in local and national life; ¢ Examples of best practice in service delivery; ¢ Evaluation of the challenges and opportunities confronting public library managers; ¢ Wide ranging coverage, including information from published and unpublished sources, supplemented by interviews with key stakeholders in the public library sector. The book provides a unique and thorough guide to the contemporary discourses surrounding issues of identity, social purpose, value and strategy facing the public library service.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |164 pages
The Environment
chapter |20 pages
Setting the Scene
chapter |30 pages
The Local Authority Context
chapter |53 pages
National Agendas
chapter |24 pages
Public Library Users
chapter |34 pages
Public Library Staff
part |184 pages
Service Development