Briefly reviews the history of public libraries in the United States and discusses the features that make them distinctive from other libraries, including patrons served, objectives, services provided, collections, involvement in public relations and dependence on local financial support. It is argued that public libraries have a bright future,…

Describes the difference between literary communication ("belles-lettres") and information communication. Identifies 11 possible functions of or reasons for reading belles-lettres. Discusses the importance of literary communication to library users and the library's role in providing belles-lettres to the public. (AEF)