Networked Information: A Revolution in Progress
Clifford A. Lynch · Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) · 1991
Progress in telecommunications and information technology has extended computer communication networks and increased network speed. With the resulting increase in networked information, questions arise as to who will control it, who will supply it, and who will have access to it. The role of the library in this electronic networked environment is changing from providing access to traditional paperbased holdings to directly acquiring material in electronic form and providing access to it. Questions arise about interlibrary cooperation, clientele, and competition for patronage. In addition, the development of the end-user workstation that will access a range of networked information resources may lead to new information markets (such as competitive intelligence) and to the potential of multimedia information access and personal scholarly publishing. The traditional role of librarians will also change. Librarians will become information specialists, skilled in the management, searching, evaluation, and organization of information. Finally, library schools must expand and refocus their roles in training these information specialists.