A British government project funded open learning in public libraries. Early provision of open learning packs expanded into uses of information technology. The project demonstrated that supporting adult learning is a core service of the public library. (SK)

This paper reports on a major United Kingdom (UK) government initiative to use the public library service as a key component in the government's agenda for social change, examines future implications for public libraries and library workers if present trends and development continue, and makes predictions about the wider implications of…