growth of Web sites, the increase in the number of electronically available print journals, and the
availability of numerous full-text resources such as reports, dissertations, and electronic books all represent a dramatic change in the dissemination of scholarly and cultural content. The history of this revolution is short and there is still much to learn, on all levels and in all areas. Not a great deal has been published about how the great li- braries are transforming themselves to greet the electronic age, although Maurice B Line (12) notes that three factors have caused an almost ceaseless questioning of the roles and futures of national libraries:
1. Automation, information, and communica- tions technology;
2. The intrusion of the private sector into areas formerly sacred to libraries; and
3. The globalization of libraries.
Libraries have accordingly begun to move aggressively in the direction of becoming hybrid libraries (i.e., libraries that embrace information in numerous formats, now including electronic formats). The transformation of library cultures and practice by adoption of information technol- ogy continues apace. An increasing emphasis on service and a decreasing emphasis on collection have already been noted. Libraries are incorpo- rating electronic technologies and services into the everyday work of all staff by doing a number of things:
Working for the broadest possible access
for readers in the electronic environment.
Not only are libraries seeking technologi- cal standards’ and presentation of resourc- es in forms accessible to the broadest range of readers, but they are also lobbying to advance the public policy debate in ways that support broad access for the good of society as a whole.
Reallocating an increasing and visible por-
tion of collections budgets to the electron- ic resources needed by their readers. For
example, ARL Supplementary Statistics indicate that in FY98/99, 29 ARL member libraries spent more that $1 million of their collections budgets for licensing electronic databases, 41 representing anywhere from 6 to 22 percent of their library materials budgets.
Building collections of
digital resources
that, while not yet rivaling traditional col- lections in scope and bulk, are substantial, of high value, and integrated in the tradi- tional patterns of collection and use.
Working to shape and support initiatives
such as community education, online course support, Web page design, teaching- specialist electronic resources, and digitiz- ing of materials for these programs-all with a view to making educational opportunities as broad, rich, and accessible as possible.
Lifelong learning is the opportunity and the goal, and “distance learning” us the current buzzword for the tactics librarians seek to support.
Finding new ways to measure the usage
patterns and behaviors of readers, so as to anticipate and support their needs, bring- ing the right resources into play for read- ers. The digital environment facilitates such measurement and, accordingly, such feedback, giving a better allocation of re- sources than has ever been possible with print media.
Devoting increasing effort to more so-
phisticated reader services associated with single and multiple electronic resources.
Librarians are more often than ever teach- ers of how to use electronic resources, and readers spend less time pursuing simple factual information at traditional reference desks.
Cooperating with other libraries in setting up networks that make libraries effectively a single virtual (through the locator tool of interoperable online catalogs) institution
that can deliver physical materials, via ad- vanced interlibrary loans and document delivery, to more and more readers more effectively -and more cost-effectively -than ever.
Delivering physical materials by electronic
means. As physical materials become in- creasingly deliverable at a distance, librar- ies are putting more and more electronic delivery services into operation.
Partnering with other participants in the
creations and dissemination of knowledge.
Libraries can for example, work with in- dividual authors, organizations, publishers (commercial and noncommercial), book- sellers, and software companies to create and make available functional and well used online resources.
Digitizing and making available to readers materials already in library collections and special collections. Such materials would include, in particular out-of-copyright ma- terial, image collections, sheet music, maps, and other traditional library treasures.
Subscribing to online services that provide
statistical data. Libraries would help read- ers learn to manipulate services containing DQ\WKLQJIURPKLVWRULFDOFHQVXVGDWDWR¿- nancial market data.
Creating
multimedia servers for music,
¿OP DQG RWKHU PHGLD$W WKH VDPH WLPH thorny questions of access and permitted use must be addressed, and the technologi- FDOFDSDELOLW\WRKDQGOHVLJQL¿FDQWTXDQWL- ties of such material must be developed.
Using the new generation of library man-
agement systems as a springboard not only for integrating forms of access to a wide range of materials and formats but also IRUUHHQJLQHHULQJWKHHQWLUHZRUNÀRZDQG EDFNRI¿FHSURFHVVHVRIWUDGLWLRQDOOLEUDUL- anship. The technical services of libraries are becoming increasingly business-like, streamlined, and closely managed, with
closer links than ever to vendors through electronic data interchange (EDI) and oth- er forms of electronic interaction that work to the advantage of all parties.
Working to understand the technical de-
mands, possibilities, and long-term costs and responsibilities of digital media as instruments for the preservation of library information, including material from tra- ditional print media (e.g., the contents of books printed on acid-based paper) and material created in digital form. When we fully understand the challenges of mov- ing digitally preserved information from format to format, from one hardware and software systems to a new hardware and software system, we will have made great progress in solving what many think is the biggest remaining problem in establish- ing truly functional and satisfactory digital libraries.
Working through the issues that must be
faced in deciding which kinds of resources are best maintained locally, library by li- brary, and which resources are best main- tained elsewhere, whether by publishers, vendors, library consortia, or third parties.
Traditional librarianship achieves secu- rity and preservation by having redundant physical copies: the challenge now is to balance redundancy (and thus security) ZLWK RSWLPDO HI¿FLHQF\ DQG WR DYRLG XQ- necessary duplication of effort.
Understanding evolving legal regimes such
as copyright and licensing. In this arena, librarians seek not only to understand but DOVRWRVKDSHDQGLQÀXHQFHGHYHORSPHQWV thus securing agreements that offer read- er’s high-quality, reliable, and permanent access to resources.
Exercising responsible stewardship of
li-
brary resources, which are usually pur- chased with public funds or from not- IRUSUR¿W LQVWLWXWLRQDO EXGJHWV 6XFK
stewardship requires keen understanding of the business models and economics of the new information sources in an environ- PHQW LQ ZKLFK OLEUDULHV ¿QG WKHPVHOYHV increasingly offered not ownership but ac- cess not a once-for-all price but something closer to annual subscription or by-the- drink pricing.
Cultivating an expertise in technology mat-
ters. The technological infrastructure of a library now faces a new degree of volatil- ity and continuing costs as equipment and software need upgrading. The marketplaces makes it literally impossible to choose not to play the upgrade game: in a very short time, a library’s information would simply become unavailable if it persisted in using even slightly outmoded operating systems or software.
Continuously upgrading
human resources
and skills. The librarians and support staff at this time of transformation must undergo no less arduous a series of “upgrades.” As in other sectors of our economy, it is im- possible in the library sector for staff to ac- quire and practice skills and then use them for a lifetime; instead, they must grow and adapt, and there are real and substantial costs for supporting the necessary training and for paying a more highly skilled staff.
Seeking new funding sources and opportu-
nities. Traditional funding sources-annual budgets doled out by the government or QRWIRUSUR¿WRUJDQL]DWLRQZLWKDWLQ\DQ- QXDOLQFUHDVHQRORQJHUVXI¿FH
Librarians are increasingly engaged in entre- preneurial efforts, whether soliciting research and development funding from granting agencies, developing partnerships with other entities in the library sector, or participating in cost-recovery projects with the commercial sector that serves and interacts with the library community.