The article examines the role of the public librarian in the local authori ty budgetary process. It discusses the organizational structure in each authority and the chosen budgetary process, and analyses professional behaviour. The first section sets the work into context and examines the basic concepts. The second reports on the results of a survey of 20 Scottish library authorities. The final part concludes by examining the budgetary outcomes and sug gests that the success of a library authority in securing finance depends both on the nature of the structure and process and on the manner in which library officers play the budgetary game.
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