In addition to these services, many former government services that now operate as agencies have specialised library and information services, for example the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Civil Aviation Authority. In government generally, the drive for value for money and the devolution of responsibility for the delivery of services to executive agencies such as these has often led to more and smaller information units serving discrete subject needs. Special libraries focus on one or more subject fields, or serve the specialised interests of one organisation. Most are to be found in the commercial or industrial sectors but others are in professional associations, learned societies, government departments, agencies, laboratories, research associations and a wide range of other specialised organisations. Generally there is less emphasis in special libraries on stock acquisition and more on the immediate provision of information to meet user needs.
Staff are often subject specialists.
There are seven publicly-funded research councils in the UK, each with its own network of research establishments and units. The research activities of these institutions generate a lot of demand for information and most of the councils have their own special libraries and information units to address these information needs. The research councils are established under Royal Charter to fulfil the objectives set out by Government in the White Paper Realising our Potential, dated May 1993. Statutory control of the councils is exercised by the Department of Trade and Industry, supported by the Director-General of Research Councils, within the Office of Science and Technology. The Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils.