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The article discusses the history of public libraries in Great Britain. Libraries in Great Britain also lend films as well as music and is linked with schools and colleges. The importance of public libraries in opening up education and scholarship as well as being the foundation of ideas and revolt is also presented. Library usage is slowly declining and there is a need for change as well as a need to keep hold of basic aims. INSETS: The Reading Room;Carnegie's legacy.

Describes the state of libraries in England. Preparation of library budget; Behavior of the library patrons; Automation of the libraries.

This is an article about the physical state of libraries in the United Kingdom. Libraries in the UK are in bad physical shape--a "scandal that must be rectified," according to a report issued in March by Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. It would cost between £ 240 million ($462 million USD) and £ 650 million ($1.25 billion USD) to refurbish the buildings. Mark Wood, chair of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, said that the report supports "our long-held belief that until there is substantial investment in refurbishment… the other improvements we make will only be able to skim the surface." The select committee suggested that new national lottery funding might be directed to public libraries. Last spring, a report from the library advocacy group Libri also asserted that libraries were failing.

The article explores some mobile delivery projects by university libraries in London, England. It mentions that the projects involved investigating how mobile phones can improve the use of online library resources, the PhoneBooth project, and M-Biblio. It notes that mobile infrastructure changes the way research and educational information is used by library users. It also emphasizes that these projects come from the CityUniversity, the London School of Economics and University of Bristol.

The article focuses on the transformation of a library on the advice of local secondary school pupils. In a campaign called "Love Libraries," the Coldharbour Library in Kent, England was reopened as a bright modern facility as hospitable to teenagers as it has been to younger children and retirees. The library has been built as the teenagers suggested, with a separate room for young people.

The article reports on the emergence of wireless locations within Oxford University in England, as part of the wireless central network established in 2006. According to the author, college libraries have already taken steps to join the wireless network by installing wireless internet access for student use. Alan Gay, of the University computing services, says that the process is being done college by college with the aim to establish Oxford as a wireless-connected University.

The article focuses on the benefits to customers of the London Libraries Consortium (LLC), which is a collaboration of 12 boroughs in London, England. It mentions that the collaboration has brought new skills to the boroughs and produced opportunities for staff members to be involved in projects including web development and standardization. It also states that LLC had a positive impact on the customers because they were able to use their library cards in over 100 libraries.

The article reports on the availability of state-of-the-art multi-function kiosk which incorporates Radio Frequency Identification for use in public libraries in London, England. Library technology specialist DS believes the innovative new product will give library users more freedom to interact with library services. It stated that the kiosks will also help libraries cope with the increasing pressure to stay open for longer hours without increasing staff costs, while freeing staff from routine administration and creating more time for them to help library patrons who have complex queries.

The article reports on the launch of the LancaShare Project by the Lancashire Libraries and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in England. The new scheme entitles all 32,000 students and staff at UCLAN to free, automatic, full membership of Lancashire County Council's Library and Information Service. It means that over four million books and audio visual items available for loan or reference across 90 library service points to students. Moreover, citizens can access to resources and materials at UCLAN libraries.

The article reports that the reading rooms at the British Library's St. Pancras facility in London, England, are seeing record numbers of readers two years after the launch of a policy of allowing in anyone who wants to do research including university undergraduates. However, this has prompted complaints from more traditional researchers. But the British Library, reports that it has been getting a 93% satisfaction level from its patrons.