Discusses electronic information technology and possible effects on research libraries' transition from print-based collections to new configurations. Topics discussed include the effects of printing on the growth and spread of information; limits to dissemination and access; electronic mail (E-mail); and new methods for scholarly publishing and…

The essays collected in this volume present the personal visions of several individuals, mostly librarians and other information professionals, on what the library might look like 25 or 30 years from now. The contributors represent a wide variety of libraries and related institutions on four continents. The essays collected are:…

Examines issues and trends surrounding the changing library environment, and how changes have influenced the role of librarians. Analysis of the library environment in the past, present, and future included four elements: (1) role of the librarian; (2) library collections; (3) technologies; and (4) users' needs. (AEF)

The main function of the library of the future is to provide access to electronic sources stored elsewhere. In order to comply with the users' needs, therefore, flexible license scenarios are necessary. Another future function of the library will be to set up and maintain a personal alerting system and to assist users in organizing their own…

Presents the digital age challenge of tailoring information technologies to support activities of individual communities of users, while creating a globally distributed information infrastructure enabling systems and services to interoperate. Examines: "What is a digital collection?""What is a library?""What is a…

In response to technological advances, future libraries will blend new technologies with traditional information resources by partitioning collections into various formats including print, nonprint, electronic, computerized, media, and video. In effect the library will be "freezing" portions of collections in their most appropriate formats based…

Analyzes the transaction logs of MAGIC, the University of Connecticut's Map and Geographic Information Center's Web accessible collection. Identifies the users of the digital collection and what information they use most. Twelve figures present statistics. (AEF)

The Web site library is a new type of digital library incorporating both digital collections and digital service. In the parliamentary context, this new application of information and communications technology has a dual function: to provide a virtual collection to satisfy users' information demands and to provide all the current services needed…

The Commission on Preservation and Access was established in 1986 to foster and support collaboration among libraries and allied organizations in order to ensure the preservation of the published and documentary record in all formats and to provide enhanced access to scholarly information. The Commission's newsletter keeps the preservation and…

The Z. Aranne Central Education Library of Hebrew University (Israel) has two functions: it is an academic library and a national library on education. As a university library, it serves the students and faculty of the School of Education, as well as students of other faculties of the Hebrew University. The Education Library plays the role of a…

Discusses various communities that have contributed to the development of the Yale University Library Electronic Text Center (ETC) and describes the evolution of the ETC from a center for the support of electronic texts in the humanities to an electronic resource center providing support in the creation of World Wide Web resources. (LRW)

Even though medieval manuscripts represent the most voluminous surviving artifact from the Middle Ages, the very nature of this resource presents challenges for usage. In an effort to preserve medieval manuscripts and to create broader and more economical access to their contents, many libraries have in recent decades sought to provide filmed…

This plan describes the status of multi-library cooperation and resource sharing in Idaho and outlines possible ways of developing an infrastructure which supports those activities. The end result will be regional multi-type library organizations with well-developed governance structures which support resource sharing activities locally,…