This report describes the work of the Community Information and Referral (CI & R) Services Task Force, which was appointed by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) to investigate the status of CI & R in libraries and social service agencies and to make recommendations regarding the appropriate role for libraries in the field of CI & R. CI & R is defined as the active process of linking people with needs to resources (agencies, programs, people, or institutions) that can handle those needs. The body of the report is divided into four sections: (1) a concise statement of the problem and the history of the Task Force; (2) a definition of the scope of CI & R services and an analysis of these services, from the perspective of users, the government, and CI & R providers; (3) a list of organizational, staff, and administrative criteria that contribute to the provision of high-quality CI & R services and an analysis of possible ways to provide these services, with the conclusion that CI & R is an interdisciplinary task best accomplished by the coordination of social service agency and library efforts; and (4) a series of 13 recommendations in the areas of education, policy/legislation, promotion of services, and experimentation and study. Also provided are an executive summary and a Task Force membership list. (Author/ESR).

Covering every essential topic ranging from circulation and literacy instruction to reference and security, this benchmark text provides an up-to-date, broadly based view of library public service and its functions. Supplying essential, foundational reading for students of library public services as well as an up-to-date overview for practitioners who wish to refresh their knowledge or acquaint themselves with a new area of responsibility, this book's broad and solid coverage will benefit anyone concerned with developing or maintaining the public face of the library. A revision and expansion of Libraries Unlimited's Introduction to Library Public Services: Seventh Edition, this edition has new chapters covering such topics as e-resources, collections, print and other media, and facilities and funding. Additionally, every chapter has been substantially updated and reorganized to better reflect the role of technology in library services today. The book begins with background information on public services in libraries and an analysis of the library's public service philosophy. Then, the authors delve into staffing and assessment of services, moving logically to major functional areas of public services—reference, instruction, document delivery, circulation and reserves, collections, programming, safety and security issues, and facilities and funding. Real-life anecdotes from public, academic, and school libraries illustrate principles and concepts throughout the book. For each topic, the authors detail its role and philosophy, and offer key points to remember, references, and lists for further reading.

The ninth edition of this popular overview of the various programs and services offered by libraries offers best practice and useful tips for implementing them effectively. Building on the strong foundation of the previous editions, award-winning author G. Edward Evans returns with a new co-author, Stacey Greenwell, for this update that combines their signature style of textbook readability, informality, and sometimes humor, as well as their knack for balancing foundational topics and new trends. A new feature in this edition is the incorporation of the concept of "library social work" through "Social Work Connections" sidebars in each chapter. Anecdotes throughout the text and "Career Connections" sidebars offer practical advice and specific current examples. Greenwell and Evans have combined several chapters from the previous edition and expanded discussions of new trends while retaining and updating the fundamentals. The ninth edition is a welcome update for library and information science courses and a valuable handbook for public services librarians.