Equity and Excellence in the Public Library

This important volume by one of the leading scholars in the field examines and discusses how library professionals can meet the demands of policy makers to open up the public library service without destroying it. Based on a critical literature review, a survey of library professionals and consultations with stakeholders in the service, the book discusses the challenges involved in providing a library service which prioritizes equity and social inclusion and at the same time attempts to promote and maintain high intellectual and ethical standards. The author goes on to assess how those responsible for library services around the world deal with this dilemma and celebrate its possibilities.