World libraries on the information superhighway: Internet-based library services
John Carlo Bertot · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) · 2003
THE INTERNET I S N O L O N G E R a technology with which libraries experiment, dabble, or observe from afar.Rather, it is an integral part of library service that can take many forms-an extension of library collections and resources through licensed and/or digitized content, a gateway service through public access workstations, or a means through which customers can interact with the library through such services as digital reference.The advent of the Internet requires a reconceptualization of the information creation, dissemination, and consumption processes-and the role of libraries in these processes.Moreover, there is a need to examine our ability to engage in the assessment of network-based information services and resources as we move away from input/output evaluation approaches to those grounded in service quality and outcomes frameworks.Information professionals, and those relying on information professionals, face a number of challenges in the networked information resources and services environment.Meeting these challenges requires libraries to consider a variety of issues and strategies, several of which are presented in this article.