I start this talk with two acknowledgements; the first, to my colleagues on the recent Library Association Working Party on Community Information Services. Our report is due to be published by the LA in the new year and I have based a lot of this talk on our conclusions. Secondly I must...

Firstly, I must point out to the reader that this article differs a little from the speech actually given at the conference. My second explanation is the inevitable statement that any views expressed here are entirely my own and do not necessarily represent official Cheshire County Council views.