Some recent developments in British academic libraries and their implications for the geographer

Abstract

Rising costs of staffing, materials and accommodation have had serious implications for the quantity of stock and quality of service available in university and polytechnic libraries since the early 1970s. Fortunately, various technological developments have worked to counter this deterioration. Increased automation and cooperation between libraries have increased efficiency in acquisitions, cataloguing, loans and inter‐library loans systems. More libraries are offering on‐line information retrieval services. Attitudes have also changed and librarians are keener to promote library use by means of instruction, publications and publicity. Despite these developments some problems remain unchanged.