Local government structures and the public library service in Wales

The thesis examines the relationship between evolution and change in local government structures and the development of the public library service, concentrating on the development of that service in Wales. This relationship is examined against governmental enquiries such as the Roberts Report (1959), the Bourdillon Report (1962) and the Redcliffe Maud Report (1969), and the culmination of these enquiries, The Public Libraries and Museums Act, 1964 and The Local Government Act, 1972. Special attention is paid to Section 207 of the Local Government Act which enabled district councils in Wales to apply for library powers. An investigation of the mechanics and rationale of awarding such powers in 1974 and 1984 is based on research of private papers and statistical analysis. Expenditure patterns and service delivery levels of all public library authorities in Wales are examined for the period 1979-1989 to attempt to discover whether counties or districts best match selected criteria of efficiency. The whole topic is brought full circle though an examination of the post-1990 proposals for the re-structuring of local government, concentrating once again on the implications for the public library service in Wales.