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Reports on findings of a study of libraries in the north‐west of England and their service provision to deaf and hard of hearing people. A first article reported on current thoughts within the library profession and developments in staff training, the improvement and promotion of stock, and user education. This article reports on material and technological developments such as minicom, building adaptations and computer and videophone service initiatives. Examines their potential in revolutionizing the approach of deaf people in acquiring information. Considers two apparent contradictory fears: will the introduction of enhanced services stimulate a demand that libraries could not cope with under their current staffing levels, and will the technology ‐ as with experiences in services to visually impaired people ‐ be underused?

Reports on findings of a study of North‐West libraries and their service provision to the deaf and hard of hearing. Part 1 reports on current thoughts within the library profession and developments in staff training, the improvement and promotion of stock, and user education. A second article will report on material and technological developments such as minicom and building adaptations. Throughout, a sensitivity to the range of needs within the deaf community is encouraged, as is the need to make service initiatives ‐ at least for the more traditional library services ‐ reliant not on the keenness of key staff but on policy decisions. Action is being taken ‐ staff in 88 per cent of public libraries and 17 per cent of academic libraries had undergone deaf awareness training, stocks of relevance to learning British Sign Language and about deaf culture are being acquired, and libraries are promoting subtitled and closed‐captioned videos.

At a time of increasing cutbacks, libraries are under pressure to investigate alternative sources of funding. Compares American and British practice and strategies. Finds that US methods of raising funds are: government grants; endowment funds; donations from individuals, corporations and foundations; foundations/trusts specially established for public library projects; Friends of the Library groups; and special events and positive merchandising; while UK methods of raising funds are: sponsorship; grants; donations; Friends of the Public Library; and various joint ventures. Concludes that British libraries should take a good look at the American picture and learn some of its lessons.

Examines briefly provision for ethnic minority groups and the extent to which they are catered for by the public library service. This includes a look at the library′s role in creating a multicultural and multiracial society, with examples of libraries which are currently attempting to integrate ethnic minorities into the service. Legislation, policy statements and surveys that have been carried out are examined for their relevance to current provision. Also examines the contentious issue of “Section 11” funding, both in the original form and with the new criteria, why it was originally introduced and the problems that were created, followed by a look at the new criteria and some of the effects on the public library service. Problems encountered with the new criteria are examined as are the reasons why some authorities were more successful than others in bidding for funds. The conclusions drawn are to the mixed reactions that the new “Section 11” criteria have provoked, and the great challenges the library service faces to integrate ethnic minority provision into the mainstream of public library services.

Contends that information should be added to the six management functions enunciated by Henri Fayol in 1916. Considers some problems of information: the awareness problem; government neglect of the information function; inadequate indexing; poor administration in libraries; and information overload. Discusses the potential of information technology and pays attention to the difficulties experienced by developing countries.

The dedicatee of this Festschrift Issue is Anthony J. Wood, retiring as Head of the Department of Library and Information Science of Manchester Metropolitan University. His career is reviewed by the former Librarian of Manchester Polytechnic/ Manchester Metropolitan University.

The purpose of this study was to utilise a lived experience (LE) informed/co-designed approach to explore the service-user experience of using the reasons for use package (RFUP) within a youth residential rehabilitation mental health setting.

LE researchers (those who have lived through mental illness or distress), Master of social work students, a community of mental health service manager, community of mental health researchers, dual diagnosis service researchers and university-based researchers collaborated on the project. The study used an exploratory, qualitative approach of semi-structured interviews to invite young people's experiences of the resource. The research team conducted a collaborative thematic analysis drawing on the range of perspectives.

Through five interviews with young people, key themes identified included: client factors and extra-therapeutic events, relationship factors, technique/model factors/delivery and outcomes/things noticed.

The RFUP was a useful clinical tool with the young people in this pilot as it improved awareness of reasons for drug use and impact on mental health, service user to staff relationship, quality of the resource, mode of delivery and participant self-knowledge.

Young people valued the supportive role that the RFUP played in facilitating positive relationships with their workers.