1998 Building the New Library NetworkThe Library and Information Commission, under the leadership of Matthew Evans and John Dolan, produced its radical vision to create the People's Network in 1997. This was the most important rethink of the role of libraries in decades and repositioned libraries at the forefront of social developments.
|
Building the New Library Network, published in 1998, was the implementation plan for the vision. Grace Kempster, head of Leeds and then Essex Libraries, was a key member of the Commission, passionate about reading as well as the web, and conscious of the important links between books and ICT such as Amazon. Supporting reader development through online knowledge and resources was identified as a key competency for library staff alongside supporting learning, providing access to information and supporting access to electronic public services. This meant that when library authorities came to implement staff training for the People's Network (mostly not until 2003-4 for this part) training to support reader development online was a required outcome.