LIBRARIES AND SOCIETY ROLE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

LIBRARIES AND SOCIETY REKINDLES A DEBATE THAT IS ANCHORED IN THE PAST AS IT CHARGES INTO THE FUTURE. THREE DECADES HAVE PASSED SINCE THE LAST GOLDEN AGE OF LIBRARIES - A TIME WHEN THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL UNREST OF A POST BABY-BOOMER GENERATION FORCED LIBRARIES TO RECONSIDER THEIR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES. THE PROBLEMS OF TODAY ARE PROVIDING A SIMILAR CATALYST. FACED WITH A GROWING DIVIDE BETWEEN RICH AND POOR, A CRUMBLING ENVIRONMENT AND FRIGHTENING PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS, SOCIETY IS INCREASINGLY LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS THAT MAKE GOOD, ETHICAL SENSE. IN THIS CRUCIBLE OF CURRENT EVENTS, LIBRARIES ARE BEING SHAPED BY TREMENDOUS PRESSURE TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN THE NETWORKED WORLD'S INFORMATION MARKETPLACE. THE AUTHORS OF THIS BOOK, BOTH LIBRARIANS WITH INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE DEFINE THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL ON THIS NEW FRONTIER. THE BOOK INCLUDES A REVIEW OF CURRENT PRACTICE AND A LOOK AT FUTURE POSSIBILITIES AS IT EXAMINES THE NEED FOR A SOCIAL CONSCIENC