The Library World Volume 46 Issue 9

A curious reaction to the Post‐War Policy Report of the Library Association is beginning to make itself articulate. Educationists, who are likely to be vocal in the matter, say that the three principles on which it is based are not in sufficient agreement for practical use. The Library Association wants local autonomy, while interfering most drastically with the small towns which are the very foundation of such autonomy; it advocates the educational value of libraries but is emphatic that they must live separately from the official education organization; and they should have government grants but be absolved from government control. There is a symposium covering some of these points in the Spring, 1944, number of Library Review, where are brought to bear the views of Professor H. J. Laski, as a former chairman, Mr. Frederick Cowles, as representing a small town library, Mr. F. M. Gardner, from a rather larger one, Mr. Edward Green, the former librarian of Halifax, whose enthusiasm is as great as ever, and Mr. Alfred Ogilvie, who speaks for county libraries, from Lanarkshire. Most of the contributions are severely critical and all are worth study.