Public libraries in Europe have supported lifelong learning for the past 500 years. Since the Lisbon Strategy emphasized the role of lifelong learning in economic policy, public libraries have been repositioning their services to respond to this new context. In some cases, these roles are undertaken with limited legislative or strategic changes…

The public library is part of a large and complex network of institutions which provide nontraditional, continuing education to adults. Attempts have been made to ally these institutions in a single coordinated approach to community-based education, the ideal being a "communiversity"--a federation of all the educational and cultural…

Why have libraries and schools---both public institutions committed to community-based learning---adopted new technologies in dramatically different ways? Exploring the differences of technology use in schools and libraries across the country, the authors describe ways that these two institutions can collaborate to improve teaching and learning…