The Public Library: Second Edition

Public libraries are facing new challenges in the early 21st century, leading to unique solutions to allow them to survive and continue as a public service.

The Public Library tells the story of the sector and explores its current position in society. Since the publication of the first edition, libraries have seen a reevaluation of service delivery models as part of a period of austerity that has changed the position of the service in public life. This second edition is fully updated to reflect this and other significant developments in the sector, including:

• discussion of emerging delivery models that focus on community-led solutions such as volunteering;
• managing technology and digital advances such as Internet access and privacy; and
• findings from a major new UK-based research project of the impact of COVID-19 on public libraries

As a unique analysis of the concept of public library purpose in the UK, this book will be essential reading for anyone advocating for the service and its value.

David McMenemy is a Senior Lecturer in Information Studies at the University of Glasgow. Previously, he was lecturer in the department of computer and information sciences at the University of Strathclyde and before this, worked in the public library sector for over 12 years. David was Principal Investigator on the AHRC-funded project, ’Downloading a new normal: Privacy, exclusion, and information behaviour in public library digital services use during COVID’, which runs from December 2020 to February 2022. He is author of over 80 research outputs (including five books), the vast majority related to public libraries, and information ethics.