This book provides a survey of current access services practices, policies, and procedures that have proven effective in real life settings. Trends and challenges are examined for their potential impact on access services in libraries.

Access Services departments in libraries have become highly complex organizations responsible for a broad range of functions, often including circulation, reserves, interlibrary lending and borrowing, document delivery, stacks maintenance, building security, photocopying, and providing general patron assistance. This book offers effective solutions to familiar problems, fresh ideas for responding to patron needs, and informed speculation on new trends and issues facing access services departments. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Access Services.

'This is a facinating book for any librarian. It embodies a sense of change that is paradigm for any library that is not stagnating; it offers a feast of innovative ideas that have been implemented and evaluated; it is fresh with energy and enthusiasm' -- The Australian Library Journal