Addressing the current challenges faced by large public libraries

This paper identifies two key challenges for large public libraries in the 21st century. The first is to obtain a thorough understanding of the nature of the environment in which they operate, including social, technical and policy aspects. Such understanding, however, is insufficient to guide program and policy choices. The second challenge is for libraries to develop a policy framework that clarifies institutional goals and brings coherence to diverse and sometimes conflicting policy demands in a rapidly changing technological and service environment. This paper shows how the research project, The Searchers, will address a current gap in the research on online information searching, while also critically engaging with emerging debates on public value to develop a conceptual and policy framework within which the research findings can be interpreted and applied.