Guidelines for Public Libraries in the 21st Century.

This paper highlights some of the issues that arose during the drafting of a revised version of the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) Guidelines for Public Libraries. The sections of the new document are outlined as follows: (1) The Role and Purpose of the Public Library; (2) The Legal and Financial Framework; (3) Meeting the Needs of the Users; (4) Collection Development; (5) Human Resources; and (6) The Management and Marketing of the Public Library. Three key roles of the public library (i.e., education, information, and personal development) are discussed. Other issues addressed include: the importance of determining priorities; competition with other organizations; changes due to developments in information technology; access to information and communications technology; community needs analysis; customer care; development of collection standards; effective leadership; and marketing and promotion. (MES)