Since their founding, public libraries have debated their role in providing access to popular culture. This paper describes the historical development of public libraries as popular materials centers, and traces the development of library standards, particularly the seminal publication, "Planning and Role Setting for Public Libraries: A Manual of Options and Procedures." The founding and evolution of the Boston Public Library (Massachusetts) is discussed. While a new category of library service dissenters calls for a return to traditional, scholarly book-oriented programs in libraries, book stores have emerged as competitors in popular book-centered programming. (Contains 27 references.) (SWC)