This thesis aims to study the impact of the transition from communism to democracy on the public libraries in Poland. The central areas of study are changes in: the organisation of the public library system, the role of the public library in society, the librarian's daily work and job situation and collection development. The thesis is based on qualitative interviews with public librarians, public library managers and researchers in Warsaw, Torun and Gdansk. The theoretical background consists of chapters outlining thoughts on democratic and communist library ideas and public libraries' responses to a changing society. The results show that the public library system has been affected by two major decentralisation reforms in Poland, leaving the libraries in the care of local governments. This has led to serious financial problems. The libraries have lost their former political function. Our informants however claim that the role of the public library has always been the same; to meet the needs of the readers. Today focus is on satisfying the needs of the growing amount of students. In the librarians' job situation there has been a shift from security, passivity and little need for responsibility to unemployment and a demand for activity and personal initiatives. The most significant changes for the public libraries, resulting from the political reforms, can be found in their collections and acquisition. The abolishment of censorship and the opening of the market have made it possible for the libraries to create their own independent profile.