Arguing that most writing on library and information service is empirical or devoted to reporting what happened, this paper attempts to promote conversation between the empiricists and the idealists or metaphysicians of library and information studies. The paper includes the following sections: (1) Professor Peter Kien and the Metaphysical Course…

This paper suggests that library and information systems provide access to claims to knowledge rather than to knowledge or information and that such claims to knowledge are in fact claims to truth. The stated purpose of the paper is to explain why the library and information community should adhere to at least soft, if not hard, skepticism with…

Through a comparison of the historical perspectives of medieval and modern libraries, this paper is designed to clarify the purpose and goals of the library, and to promote a public and intellectual debate to guide future developments. The Middle Ages were chosen because libraries possessed an importance and centrality to learning, civilization,…

The approaching information age will encompass a different societal system in the 21st century due to the impact of the information revolution resulting from developments in computer and communications technology. In light of these changes, libraries need to evolve with the new technology by preparing now to become part of the electronic…

This issue of the IATUL (International Association of Technological University Libraries) Proceedings focuses on developments in Australian libraries. The first article, "University Librarianship in Australia" (D. H. Borchardt), reviews the growth of librarianship in Australia and examines some current issues. "Information Retrieval…