The public library as a public institution, funded by the public, is accountable to provide community based services. Those services can be developed through identifying community needs and implementing proper planning process to satisfy the identified needs. Under budget pressure, public libraries have changed their emphasis from the provision of the standardized services to the establishment of specialized services to reflect the differing characteristics of the community and the community members each public library serves. This paper reviews the research in this area since 1970s and suggests guidelines for the enhancement of community based public library services.