The public library is a product of modernity that follows in the wake of industrialization, urbanization, and popular movements, while at the same time the public library itself supports the building up and development of the modern. This article will examine the arrival of modernity and the prerequisites for the rise of public libraries, as well…

Explains three basic models of school librarianship: the American model, where school libraries are funded by school districts; the British model, where school and public library systems are entwined; and a combined model, in which school and public libraries coexist. Discusses models for school librarianship in developing countries are also…

Examines the work of women's voluntary associations in support of public libraries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Activities studied include support of traveling libraries, library legislation, and the founding of local libraries. Cooperation of organized women's groups with the American Library Association and other organizations is…

Discusses results of interviews at Canadian public libraries that were conducted to determine who users thought were responsible for collection development. Concludes that librarian's work is misunderstood because of its hidden nature and suggests implications for the image of librarians, recruitment, and staffing and funding of libraries.…

The Tanganyika Library Service (TLS) was the national public library service set up in Tanzania, East Africa, in the 1960s. By the end of the decade, it was generally regarded as a model of Western-style public library development in Africa. This is an account of its establishment and early years based on accessible documentary sources in Tanzania…

Shows how a well-respected collection development tool contains ideological frames, using the "Public Library Catalog" (PLC) as an example. Evaluation by library science graduate students indicate that the PLC makes recommendations that have an imbalance of perspectives, overemphasize a particular facet or theory within a field, lack authority,…

Describes a study that examined the use of children's books in a public library and a school library to determine whether there were differences in types and subjects of books circulated, and whether a relationship existed between the school district curriculum and circulation of nonfiction subjects. The implications for cooperative collection…