NEW REALITIES, NEW RELATIONSHIPS: Old borders, new borders, bridges, and new relationships: Transforming academic reference service
James Rettig · College & Research Libraries News · 2002
Old borders, new borders, bridges, and new relationshipsTransforming academic reference service by James Rettig C onsider a map of Europe and the Middle East in 1914 at the start of World War I.It depicts the United Kingdom, France, Bel gium, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany; it also depicts Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Serbia.Next consider a map of that same territory in 1946, after two world wars.Gone are Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Serbia; new to it are Ireland, Yugoslavia, Aus tria, and Hungary; Germany's and Poland's bor ders have been redraw n.Borders may have changed, but the im portance of borders re mained.Similarly, in recent decades borders in aca demic reference service have changed; yet the im portance of borders remains.Borders are rarely as absolute as the Berlin Wall that once separated West Berlin from East Berlin.As well as being changeable, most borders are perm e able or can be bridged.