Public Library Administration

By Royston Brown

PREFACE

THIS BOOK forms part of a series of outlines of modern librarianship, and its construction and content were con- ditioned by that framework. The field of public library administration touches the subject matter covered by all the other titles in the series, and a conscious effort has been made to avoid eneroaching too far on the province of my colleagues. For example, the subjects of cataloguing and classification, important though they are for public libraries, have been barely touched on here and other topics have been sketched in and will need to be pursued elsewhere.

What has been attempted is a logical progression through the field of public library administration, using that term in its widest sense as the management of public library services. Beginning with the purpose of the public library and its legislative base, management structure, financing and the staffing are outlined. Having set up the service, the acquisition of materials and their organisation and housing, together with the various services provided, are briefly described; and finally, arrangements for co-operation at various levels are outlined.

The purpose is to give the student a comprehensive over- view of the subject, concentrating on significant aspects in the development of modern public library systems.

My thanks are due to the publisher for patiently allowing me to extend the deadline for delivery of the text, to Marlene for deciphering my scribble and typing the script, and to our children Lindsey, Jonathan and Zoe for suffering the absence of one or both parents during the production period. Finally, although the ideas and experiences of many colleagues are con- sciously or unconsciously reflected in this book, responsibility

for their appearance in a new guise, and for any errors of omission or commission, is entirely mine.

Hemingford Grey,

Cambridgeshire.

Royston Brown