This important reference volume covers developments in aspects of British library and information work during the five year period 2001-2005. Over forty contributors, all of whom are experts in their subject, provide an overview of their field along with extensive further references which act as a starting point for further research. The book provides a comprehensive record of library and information management during the past five years and will be essential reading for all scholars, library professionals and students.

Contents: Preface; National libraries, Stephen Bury; Public libraries, Richard Ward; From social inclusion to community cohesion, John Pateman and John Vincent; Community information, Helen Leech; University libraries, Jeremy Atkinson and Steve Morgan; Colleges of further education, Andrew Eynon; Services to children, young people and schools, Lucy Gildersleeves; Government libraries, Peter Griffiths; Learned, professional and independent libraries, Mary Nixon with Carol Allison; Library and information history, Peter Hoare; Rare book librarianship and historical bibliography, K.E. Attar; Art libraries, Erica Foden-Lenahan; Music libraries, Pamela Thompson; Media libraries, Katherine Schöpflin and Richard Nelsson; Map libraries, Robert Parry; Local studies, Ian Jamieson; Archives, Elizabeth Shepherd; British and European Union official publications, Howard Picton and others; Patents, Steven Adams; The book trade, Iain Stevenson; The internet and libraries, Phil Bradley; Education and training, Marion Huckle and Margaret Watson; Research, David Nicholas; Library buildings, Michael Dewe and Alan J. Clark; Cooperation, Linda Berube; Marketing, Linda M. Smith; Information literacy, David Streatfield and Sharon Markless; Library management systems, Lucy A. Tedd; Cataloguing, J.H. Bowman; Classification and subject organization and retrieval, Vanda Broughton; Indexing and abstracting, J.H. Bowman; Preservation, Alison Walker; Index.

About the Editor: J. H. Bowman is Programme Director for Library and Information Studies at the School of Library, Archive and Information Studies, University College London, UK.

Reviews: 'John Bowman and Ashgate are to be congratulated on reviving this essential series and covering not only a momentous decade for libraries from 1991–2000, but producing the 2001–2005 volume so expeditiously… there are many riches in these two volumes and anyone interested in seeing what has been gained and what has changed over the last fifteen yeard would learn much from reading them' .
Refer 23(2) Spring/Summer 2007

'A feature of the volume is the impressively detailed index covering 35 double-columned pages. A both a "state-of-the-art" read and a reference resource, this is a "must have" for library managers and committed professionals'
Library and Information Update, October 2007

'There is no question of the authority of each of the contributors and even the sectors that I have never worked in, nor had much dealing with, presented a fascinating insight into the issues pertinent therein. The book is confidently and ably edited by J.H. Bowman of University College London (UCL).'
New Library World, Vol 108, 2007

'At a time of new realism in public affairs, the empiricism, clarity and
lack of pretence of BLIWseems to me to provide the perfect antidote to a librarianship literature preoccupied with technology, change, futurology and gloom in equal measure. Long may these volumes, and the profession whose history they record, continue to thrive.'
Journal of Librianship and Information Science

This title is also available as an eBook, ISBN 978-0-7546-8342-1

Extracts from this title are available to view:

Full contents list

Preface

Index