ABSTRACT
Public funded libraries of all kinds are amongst the longest established, traditional public services in Britain. During September 1991, the government announced the appointment of PA Consultants to undertake a feasibility study into the extension of compulsory competitive tendering to white collar services in local government. During April 1991, the government had issued green papers arising from a Ministerial Review of Local Government. Labour's spokesman on National Heritage, Jack Cunningham, was interviewed in some detail on Labour's plans for libraries, which he described as a 'precious resource'. Both in the library profession and in the professional literature there was a sense of change in the air. In May 1997 a Labour government was elected with a landslide majority. The new Secretary of State, Chris Smith was regarded by many in the library profession as a long-standing sympathizer and friend to both public libraries and the arts.
