ABSTRACT
The integration of public and technical services has been a continuing subject of discussion in library circles for quite a while. A series of articles edited by Gordon and Sally Stevenson explored the “interaction” of public and technical services from the viewpoint that interaction was necessary but the librarians in both “specializations” were placed into positions of historical context that made this interaction problematic. Despite Stevenson’s dire prediction, in only eight years another volume of The Reference Librarian revisited the issue of the blurring of the lines between public and technical services. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents an historical perspective to the changes in the profession that have contributed to greater integration. It presents three very intriguing philosophic statements concerning the responsibilities of public and technical services and the effect of dualism on the library and the profession.
