Part 1 discussed the different types of libraries that currently exist and where new LIS graduates may find employment after their degree course. In this section we will discuss the types of services offered by those libraries in more detail.

Choosing the correct materials for your library, acquiring them and making them available in a timely and efficient manner are major challenges for librarians who wish to provide the best possible service to their users. Managing library collections can also be a complex challenge with pressures on space and finances. The issues discussed in this chapter will be of concern across library sectors, since, regardless of the type of library concerned, the librarian will still be charged with acquisition of materials, evaluation of said materials, and providing an enquiry service for users.

The history of libraries could be seen to mirror the availability of the knowledge of humankind. Modern libraries store a myriad of information resources exactly because the knowledge of the world is contained within a myriad of resources. An understanding of how these resources are made available to users is very important for librarians, and this chapter will also attempt to delineate these issues.

This section will also discuss issues of preservation of materials and the techniques used to ensure that rare materials are both looked after for the present, and made available to increasing numbers of users through the process known as digitization.

The section will be divided into the following themes:

A list of further reading follows.