Adult Services: An Enduring Focus for Public Libraries

Abstract

Shifting demographics present a challenge to librarians working in adult services. Changes as diverse as the greying of the population to the explosion in microcomputer use require librarians to evaluate and re-evaluate their adult services programming. Services: An Enduring Focus for Public Libraries reports on the findings of the Adult Services in the Eighties (ASE) project which as conducted between 1983 and 1989 by Kathleen Heim under the auspices of the Services to Adults Committee of the Reference and Adult Services Division. This project went beyond simply measuring the efficacy of different types of services; the ASE project served to encourage examination in libraries across the country. This work illustrates the breadth and depth of the ASE project. While this book reports on the analysis of the ASE questionnaire data, its main purpose is the presentation of essays on a variety of adult services programs. The essays outline the development of key programs and ultimately present a picture of services that have endured. Included in the book are essays on services to minorities, labor groups, the handicapped, job seekers, and older adults. This publication also addresses the crucial issues of adult literacy, public access to microcomputers, and cultural institution. Meeting the needs of a diverse population can strengthen or weaken a library's resources. By focusing on long-standing and successful programs, this work may be a valuable tool for librarians who need to establish, evaluate, or re-evaluate their adult services programming.

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