Public Libraries and Political Culture

The ambiguity of public library goals arises in part out of the variety of sources of public library ideology. This ideol- ogy consists of values derived from conservatism, socialism, and especially, liberalism. While this diversity of sources contributes to contradictory goals and to inherent weaknesses in some library pro- grams, it also can contribute to greater institutional flexibility and vitality, thereby enhancing the chances of institutional survival.