Dubbed "a peerless ambassador for public libraries, educating future professionals, current professionals in other parts of the field, and anyone else interested about the irreplaceable and irrepressible entities that are public libraries" (Library Quarterly), the newest edition of this trusted resource has been reimagined and restructured to make it even more relevant and useful. The definitive handbook on this branch of the profession, it covers every aspect of the public library, from its earliest history through its current incarnation on the cutting edge of the information environment, including

• a summary of current and historical issues in public libraries;
• a new chapter on financing which covers traditional sources, creative funding, capital campaigns, special projects, and the pros and cons of public/private partnerships;
• statistics, standards, planning, evaluations, and results;
• legal issues and politics, including how different states are set up, the role of state libraries, defining service population, and when the law and values conflict (such as union/non-union scenarios);
• updated coverage of important advocacy issues, including advocacy for access, the legal limits of advocacy, involving the community in advocacy, and communicating the effectiveness of the public library to stakeholders;
• organization, administration, and staffing, from the differences between small libraries and large systems to current issues like non-MLIS library workers and unionization;
• learning about who public libraries serve by utilizing community analysis, community needs assessments, and diversity considerations;
• adult services, youth services, children's services, and serving special populations such as older adults, adults with special needs, schools, daycares, and the incarcerated;
• library technology, from structure and infrastructure to websites and makerspaces;
• issues related to library buildings and master plans, such as gathering community input and working with an architect on library spaces and library services outside of the library;
• library associations, state library agencies, and other professional organizations;
• disaster planning and recovery from technological, ecological, and biological disasters; and
• global perspectives on public libraries.