The first of two articles on the current state of relations between librarianship and new technologies describes recent events that signal an apparent drift toward a traditional vision of librarianship, and away from any emphasis on information technologies. (CLB)

Discusses emerging roles for the library and librarian, including services in the following areas: (1) special collection management and reference; (2) information systems; (3) expert systems; (4) electronic publishing; (5) telecommunications networking; and (6) computer support. The technologies of artificial intelligence, graphic imaging,…

Summarizes the responses of research library directors to the Library of Congress' Network Advisory Committee statement, which stresses an egalitarian network environment. The special role of research libraries and the effect on their participation in local area and multitype networks are discussed. (6 references) (CLB)

Reviews the emergence of lobbies, both from within and outside the library profession, that argue for a fee based approach to the delivery of information, and explores the possible effects of this policy on the role of libraries and equal access to knowledge. (Author/CLB)

Discusses the problem of differentiating librarianship from other information-related occupations. Several models used to define the concept of information are presented; and the relationships of information to knowledge, information science, library science, and the mission of the academic library are explored. (34 notes with references) (CLB)

Presents a model for predicting and shaping the impact of information technologies on libraries and the library role which is based on the effects of computerization in various business applications. The library network at AT&T Bell Laboratories is described as an example of a successful implementation of the model. (CLB)

This paper is based on two fundamental premises: (1) that the characteristics inherent in information (reproductivity, volatility, and value) combined with the technical capability provided by the new information technology (access, storage, communication, and control) have created the prospect of a new range of internal and external networking…

Briefly summarizes topics discussed within the theme of global information access at the annual conference of the Special Libraries Association, including information policy in foreign countries, copyright laws, the impact of library automation on access to information, and findings of a task force on the value of the information professional.…

Explores value conflicts and ethical dilemmas arising from the more substantive role required of the academic librarian by technological developments. Discussion focuses on the interactions of social values, values of professional librarianship, and personal values of the librarian and the user, with the ethical requirements inherent in…

Discusses the effects of information technology on the environment within which the typical academic library must operate and the effects of the resulting environmental turbulence on the general social context of the university and on the relationship between the university and its libraries. (Author/CLB)

Reviews key developments in information technologies, and describes the possible convergence of these developments in the creation of a new publishing and communication medium. The impact of this technology on the organization and role of libraries is discussed. (4 references) (CLB)

Presents papers from Illinois State Library and Shawnee Library System's "Libraries on the MOVE" conference focusing on how libraries can impact economic/cultural climate of an area. Topics addressed included information services of rural libraries; marketing; rural library development; library law; information access; interagency…

Reviews several issues facing public libraries, including the impact of information technology and its effect on traditional library services, the need to select library administrators who are comfortable with the technology, and the need for lay bodies that oversee library services to be aware of the complexity of the situation. (Author/CLB)

This publication reports on research conducted to follow up on a 1997 survey of public libraries and the Internet, co-sponsored by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the American Library Association. The 1998 survey is based on a sample of 2,500 of the nation's 15,718 public library outlets. The survey found that…

This report of the events at the American Library Association annual conference summarizes presentations and debates on several social issues as well as a manifesto addressing social and ethical problems that was presented at the conference. A list of officers and awards is provided. (CLB)