In Constraining Public Libraries: The World Trade Organization's General Agreement on Trade in Services, the authors present a compelling argument for why the library community should be concerned about the effect of international trade agreements on the ability to deliver library and information services to the public. The book begins with a rigorous yet succinct description of the relevant provisions of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), proceeds to discuss how it is likely to impact particular public library services, and then discusses how the library community could best respond to these challenges. While there cannot be certainty when considering how GATS will ultimately impinge upon public libraries, this book pinpoints potential problem areas. It is a valuable tool in informing the dialogue within public libraries on the World Trade Organization, and providing the foundation for effective advocacy at the domestic and international levels to ensure that public libraries continue to play a central role in their communities for generations to come. Those in library and information science, as well as public administrators, educators, students, political and policy science professionals, government officials, and trade negotiators, will find this book to be an informative resource.

"...detailed, carefully argued...Solid, extensively documented...timely and useful...it provides an increasingly rare and thoughtful discussion of certain aspects of library management..." - Library Journal, 4/15/2007

"The value of this book lies in its thoroughness and enumeration of problem areas.... Of interest to those working in government funded or the public sectors." - Par Public Administration Review, February 2009

"In this study, Trosow and Nilsen consider the potential effects of various provisions of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) on the delivery of public library services. Following a review of the WTO framework, the authors (both U. of Western Ontario) outline the general requirements of the GATS agreement and identify areas where public libraries may be susceptible to legal challenges from private service providers. They also suggest specific steps for building more effective advocacy programs for public libraries. The pertinent sections of the GATS agreement are found in the appendix." - Reference and Research Book News, May 2007