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The purpose of this paper is to define the problem and to initiate discussion on library evaluation as significant part of institutional evidence-based management from public administration approach.

In order to fulfilling the purpose, special attention to present the concepts of valuing information, library performance evaluation, measurement, etc. is drawn, main evaluation functions are analysed. Economic aspects of information services vs intellectual ones are discussed. Consistent patterns and principles of public administration as well as possibilities of public administration influence in creation of systematic base of library performance evaluation as well as of information services impact to the user are analysed.

The paper provides insights about different aspects of information services evaluation. Results of analysis of economic aspects of information services vs intellectual ones are presented, consistent patterns and principles of public administration, possibilities of public administration influence in creation of systematic base of library performance evaluation as well as of information services impact to the user possibilities are presented.

The paper fulfills need to study how public administration could involve library evaluation as tool for evidence-based decision making.

The purpose of this paper is to address dimensions of crisis as applied to the profession of librarianship from a public administration frame of reference. For librarians to retain professional status, the human element of librarianship must be promoted through an emphasis on their educational mission, inspired by public administration's professional code of ethics. Within this process, librarians must promote themselves as educators, embracing the concept of information literacy as their field of jurisdiction.

Reflecting an interdisciplinary approach, literature from public administration and library science is used to support these points.

A robust professional education and affiliation with professional associations reinforces the informational asymmetries of professionals through specialized instruction and knowledge sharing, which will lead to not only a strengthened profession, but also to opportunities for leadership.

To reinforce professionalism, the human element of librarianship must be promoted through an enhanced emphasis on the educational mission of librarians within the ethical framework of the profession. The place for this to occur is within schools of graduate education and professional associations.

This discussion addresses dimensions of crisis as applied to the profession of librarianship from a public administration frame of reference. The rationale for this approach is that library and information science can benefit from elements of the public administration school of thought regarding professionalism, in general, and ethical codes, in particular.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the managerial and governance issues that impact on service delivery in public libraries in Nigeria. Within many countries this seems to be a challenge often resulting in an ineffective service delivery resulting in underutilisation thereof. This study was conducted among administrators and managers of public libraries in Nigeria to establish the current status quo concerning governance and management issues impacting on service delivery.

A qualitative study using interviews was used to illicit data from three permanent secretaries, six public library directors, and six heads of rural community libraries, purposively selected for the study.

The findings show that variables such as relevant academic qualifications, years of experience, and designation of the administrators and managers of public libraries affect service delivery. A huge dependency on government bodies for decision making and funding was established. Impediments to good management of the libraries were found to be inadequate funding; lack of involvement of stakeholders in public library administration; and inappropriate public library legislation.

The study recommends the promulgation of a public library-specific act in order to regulate the administration and management of this public unit, involve stakeholders in public library administration, as well as the provision of alternative forms of funding in order to alleviate the dependence on governmental budgets.

With very little research available on these issues in Nigeria, this paper will create awareness among all stakeholders of specific governance and managerial issues impacting on effective service delivery to public library users so that it can be addressed.

Government practices concerning self‐administered, direct Internet publishing of material are burgeoning. In this situation, local public libraries can balance democratically unfavourable consequences of new ICT practices in early e‐government initiatives, an important task, especially considering that the intermediary and disseminating functions of traditional mass media are being questioned. Using Habermas’s theories on public spheres and mass media, the concept of intermediary in today’s society is discussed in the context of international information policy documents and public library manifestos. Against this background, two Swedish cases concerning work within a municipal library and regional politics are presented. In conclusion, it is suggested that public libraries have both the obligation and the possibility to counteract tendencies toward shallow representation of public administration, fragmentation of societies and documents, and dislocations of responsibilities from government agencies to libraries. If handled properly, library practices that add value might even strengthen and rejuvenate the democratic system.

This qualitative study explores the issue of library management support in providing a self-directed learning environment for research-support librarians which is an under-explored feature of librarianship in Malaysian public university libraries.

A total of nine research-support librarians purposely selected from these libraries took part in in-depth interview sessions. The responses were analysed using Miles and Huberman's technique, which involves data reduction, data display, conclusion-drawing and verification.

Five emerging themes and 31 sub-themes were identified. There was a general consensus among the respondents that their library management does provide research-support librarians with a self-directed learning environment to enhance their competencies as academic librarians. Nevertheless, these librarians also highlighted some challenges, issues and barriers related to the initiative and support received. Some suggestions are advanced for improvements to support self-directed learning by research-support librarians working in public university libraries.

Empirically, this study attempts to fill the gap in the knowledge that needs to be addressed from the perspective of Malaysian librarians, especially the research-support librarians, who serve in public universities in Malaysia, who have received little attention from local librarianship researchers.

A public library budget can serve varied purposes: a contract, a management tool, a communication mechanism, a financial control mechanism, a motivator, a plan, a major policy‐making tool and as an instrument of democracy. This paper presents a methodology that public library directors can use to determine if the budget contains the information they need in order to make decisions.

Public library management literature and public administration theory have been unduly influenced by economic thinking appropriate to the private sector but a poor fit to the public sector. In this chapter we attempt to explain that public sector interests are different and that decisions about their future should be made on a different basis. Specifically, this chapter addresses the problem of cutback management and compares decisions made by library managers in the Great Depression to those being made in current economic times. Questions are raised about the approach to cutbacks that typify current public management practices, and it is suggested that new models are needed to help public library managers and trustees deal equitably and efficiently with recurring economic fluctuations and the fundamental changes that these periods sometimes produce.

As the human race moved from the Paleolithic to the current phases of the Neolithic period, the learning process developed from inscriptions on stones to clay tablets, from papyrus to papers and, ultimately, to digital technology. From ancient times to the present, public libraries have become open universities that are more democratic in the provision of educational and information services and the preservation of cultural heritage, regardless of gender and belief. This study attempts to understand reading trends and the use of citizens’ resources in public libraries in the age of technology as an open university.

The data for this study on regular visitors, permanent library members, and information on the library inventory was collected from each public library administration through personal visits and interviews. In addition, data on regional population and literacy rates were collected from the Government of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Bureau of Statistics. The authors used descriptive statistics to analyze data for comparative studies.

The results show that daily visitors, regular library members and their use of library resources are decreasing compared to the literacy rate in each district. It was also concluded that, due to a lack of education and training in the area of information and digital literacy, the accessed database resources are not used properly. Moreover, each densely populated district relies on a single public library to meet general education and information needs.

The results of this study will help the government expand the network of public libraries at the union council level with competent working staff to increase general motivation to improve reading and resource usage trends. Given the current literacy and population growth in each district, the law on the public library can also be amended and implemented to support the existing library system better and create more libraries in the public interest.

This study was conducted for the first time to determine the current state of public libraries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to help public library authorities improve their existing public library service status based on the results.

The purpose of this paper is to consolidate existing knowledge and provide a deeper understanding of e-government research for assisting researchers in the development of their future analyses, identifying trends of research and the methodology used.

A bibliometric approach has been used to examine e-government research in periodical publications listed in ISI in the field of information science and library science during the period 2000-2014.

The authors found that although e-participation research has increased in the last years, future research should focus on accessibility policies, and on the motives, capabilities and perceptions of disabled and older people to take advantage of e-government initiatives to be involved in the social affairs.

The study has shown the need to carry out further research into e-participation in order to understand the true dimension of social networks and their involvement in e-democracy. Also, it is highlighted the need for the design and evaluation of tools for automation of the services and to enable citizens to vote in local initiatives.

This historical assessment allows identification of significant insights and trends related to e-government, and patterns in the published articles and develops a cohesive and comprehensive research agenda to guide researchers worldwide in their quest for a better understanding of e-government.

This research focused on the management dynamics between library districts' discretion and privatization of library management. Previous research has reported conflicting effects of this dynamic. However, few studies have investigated privatization of library management by library districts. Additionally, previous research has accepted the premise that when public libraries change from general-purpose government to library districts, they will not implement privatization prior to forming districts. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether conflicting effects arise in the dynamics between library districts' discretion and privatization in library management.

To address research gaps, an in-depth case analysis was conducted of the Jackson County Library District in Oregon, where library management has been privatized both before and after library district formation. The analysis divided the study period into three phases, which differed by legal basis and operating body. To clarify the characteristics of library management in each phase, changes in finances, staff hiring and library services were analyzed.

In Phase 1, privatization was implemented in response to the financial difficulties of the public library run by the county government. In Phase 2, the library district was formed with the aim of stabilizing revenue and securing management autonomy. During Phase 3, the library district and operating body were both operated by a private company. Although the financial resources of the library district were stable, it was unable to implement autonomous library management. This demonstrates that privatization cannot facilitate autonomous management, an advantage of library districts.

By investigating the conflicting effects of the dynamics between library district discretion and privatization, this research contributes to greater understanding in the fields of public management and library science.