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• Wide ranging coverage, including information from published and unpublished sources, supplemented by interviews with key stakeholders in the public library sector.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.