Conclusions: Are We Ready for the Twenty-First Century Library Organization?

At the conclusion of the introduction to the 1991 The Reference Librarian volume on blending of public and technical services in libraries, McCombs warns that the people must be organized for providing the services needed by patrons through the year 2000. The first article by Jankowska and Young traces an historical trend toward greater cooperation and integration of the two service groups, indicating a growing trend toward almost complete integration. Both the Miller and the Bing philosophic essays on the nature of integration and its importance express an overall belief that no one area is more important than the other and that everyone has something to contribute to the smooth operation of a library. Of course there is the down side of working within a collegial framework when a quick decision is needed. The library at the end of the twentieth century is prepared to go beyond the twenty-first century.