A matter of principles...

On the grounds of the rules he had settled for the NLL organization in Boston Spa, D. Urquhart states some of the principles that can be applied to all sorts of libraries (existing and coming). These principles are derived from two basic ideas : libraries are made for users and no library is an island. He also reminds us that supply is source of demand from the users. As they are subsidized institutions, libraries need to estimate the ratio between cost and performance, althought the last element may not be estimated in financial terms. This will of being an effective service tends to question the two old values - perfection and secluded work - and enhances the team work. The author insists also on the idea that librarianship is an applied science.
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