ABSTRACT
The public library at the beginning of the twentieth century is undoubtedly very different from the public library 150, 100 or 50 years ago and that is perhaps the secret of its enduring success and the reason why it continues to be held in affection and valued by the British people. As society has evolved, so the public library has reinvented itself, trying to establish itself as a vital tool in politicians’ agendas for change. This chapter will discuss how successfully the public library has coped with and met the complex and countervailing pressures and demands placed on it during the early 21st century and whether it will be able to continue to do so in the future, drawing primarily on the research interviews.
