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For the purposes of this paper a bureaucratic organisation is defined as an organisation that relies on rules and non professional control structures. Thus librarians working for local authorities are employed in complex organisations in which final authority, indeed the final responsibility rests with non professionals. The non professional rules, OK?

Posits that library public relations are concerned with effective management of communication between the library organization and its public. Suggests that, because of this fact the goodwill of elected community representatives is an important factor in the maintenance of a library's wellbeing. Examines some methods by which this has, or might be achieved. Concludes that the long‐term survival of public library services may well depend on the ability to present them to our political rulers in an effective and persuasive way.

This paper discusses statistical analyses of the effect of reductions in opening hours on book issues of public library authorities (PLAs). Monthly issue statistics over a three‐ to four‐year period for twenty‐six libraries in four PLAs (Sheffield, Ealing, Hereford and Worcester, and Lancashire) were analysed using graphic analysis and time series modelling. The results, with one or two exceptions, showed little, if any, significant relationship between reductions in hours and book issues. There were indications that other variables such as seasonality, patterns of opening hours and the accessibility of other libraries might be masking any impact. Annual issue and book fund statistics over a twenty‐three year period for libraries in Sheffield PLA were also analysed. This latter investigation suggests that reductions in the level of issues, related to both opening hours and materials expenditure, are discernible after a period of about two years. One model showed that the impact of opening hours cuts may be discernible within a year, materials fund cuts after a lag of one to two years. The study demonstrates clearly the difficulties involved in using statistical data to make accurate predictions of the impact of individual reductionsin opening hours on book issues. It identifies a number of variables which may affect the impact of reductions.

At the risk of sounding like an over‐cautious civil servant I should make it clear that any opinions or interpretations I give in this paper are mine and not necessarily those of the Library Association. The Draft Code of Professional Ethics—the green paper that appeared in the October L.A.R.—is not yet L.A. policy. Indeed as far as our members are concerned, the consultation that is now taking place is an integral part in the formulation of a code of professional ethics. It is my privilege as a Chairman of the Working Party to listen to, and respond to members' views and then to communicate them to our working group.

It is contended that knowledge management is directed towards finding out how and why information users think, what they know about what they know, the knowledge and attitudes they have and the decisions they make when they interact with others. At the heart lies the mutation of information into knowledge, a process best understood through seeing, knowing and information retrieval as features common to cognitive psychology and information management. The knowledge we have of knowledge, and changes to knowledge, can be monitored in negotiations like knowledge interviews for trainees. Such knowledge and belief systems can also be translated into managerial strategies, both qualitative, as when we emphasise value and benefit in the marketing approach to information, and quantitative, as when we devise ways of assessing probabilities with which desired outcomes will occur. Knowledge management is as much the management of meaning as management of entities and people, for in meaning lies the key to our understanding of what we decide to do as information managers. It is a multi‐disciplinary field offering a semantics and pragmatics for the evaluating and self‐evaluating manager.

OUR next number will contain our impressions and those of others of the Blackpool conference. Any anticipations made now will be obsolete by the middle of June. All that need be said here is that we hope no drastic change will have been suggested in the examination syllabus; all other matters are, in our view, legitimate matters for debate in general meetings, but where the syllabus is concerned only Fellows have the necessary qualifications to vote upon it. This we have expressed sufficiently perhaps in the past; there is, however, no harm in repeating it.

This archive paper is presented as part of the 80th birthday celebrations of Library Review. It examines concepts of professionalism and bureaucracy in the early 1980s public library service.

The paper provides a reflective viewpoint.

That challenges to professionalism existed in 1980 and that librarians needed to contemplate professional values more fully.

Raises issues about professional values in management structures.

This is part of an anniversary celebration and as such revisits some old arguments.

Some of you may recall the folk music festivals of the late sixties and early seventies. At one of these the pleasant and gentle proceedings were interrupted by the sound of a low flying aircraft. Streaming from its tail was a banner carrying the single question: Do you relate?

Over the past year or so I have been invited to speak on this subject by the Department of Education and Science, the Library Association, and the Community Projects Foundation. Rating the acceptance of my ideas on a ten point scale with ‘one’ as total acceptance and ‘ten’ as total rejection I would guess that I have scored 1.5 to 6; I will leave you to assign the organisations to the scores.

The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the literature within the fields of public librarianship, social exclusion and empathy.

The cross‐disciplinary review involved the consultation of material from disciplines including library and information management, politics, social policy and social sciences, cultural studies, psychology, management and organizational theory. It was structured according to the following themes: exclusion, inclusion and social policy, social inclusion in public services and the cultural sector, the role of public libraries in social inclusion and professional empathy and the public library service. Findings –The concept of social inclusion remains at the core of public library policy and strategy, and is embedded in contemporary social theory. Conflicting views have emerged as to the perceived and actual role of the public library in combating social exclusion, with a need expressed for research to be conducted that bridges the gap between the “philosophical” interpretations of community librarianship and the more practical, “real world” studies, in order to fully understand the concept of community librarianship. A critical link is made between social inclusion and public librarianship to professional empathy.

The paper provides an edited version of the overall literature review, yet it is felt that it would be of theoretical and practical relevance and value to the professional and academic communities.

Empathy is a relatively new concept in librarianship research, and prior to the study of which this review forms a part only limited findings have been available.