Introduction

'Libraries in the Twenty-First Century' draws on professional practice and research into the field of Library and Information Science to cover specific types of library and information agencies, discuss specific aspects of library and information management and place developments in library and information services in a number of broad contexts. This introductory chapter explores the broad trends - socio-economic, technical, historical and organisational - that have shaped and continue to shape library and information services. The book follows an uncommon 'bottom-up' approach to the subject field and this chapter provides the rationale for that approach.