Libraries with Glass Walls

Abstract

Fantasies of "virtual libraries," where users transparently access needed information regardless of location, depend on no-cost, unrestricted access to electronic information. In the real world, ownership and access are interwoven, library materials are usually in print form, and libraries are not usually high funding priorities for their parent institutions. If electronic information is obtained from commercial sources, libraries may need to restrict remote access to it. Ironically, print information in remote libraries may be more accessible than electronic information.