Despite economic growth there is st

Despite economic growth there is still a
squeeze on public expenditure and
accountability is a key aspect of governments'
requirements. In Western Europe political
change has resulted in an increasingly
influential level of government above national
governments. In the UK certain powers are
now devolved to Northern Ireland, Wales and
Scotland. This brings echoes of states' rights
and federal government known to librarians in
Australia and the USA. The UK government
has also brought together the interests of
archives, libraries and museums in a new
government agency called Re:source which
replaces the bodies such as the Library and
Information Commission (Re:source, 2000).
Re:source will promote co-operation and
collaboration across the three sectors.