Digital librarians: The challenges ahead

Abstract

The advent of Information and communication technology has revolutionized the way information was accessed and disseminated; one of the most visible changes came in the arena of librarianship. Suddenly, the idea of easy, fingertip access to information became widely prevalent and phrases like "virtual library," "electronic library," "library without walls" and, most recently, "digital library," very popular. However, this produced a new and confusing bog of electronic "stuff" that is hard to find, hard to use, buried in restrictions, unreliable in content, and useless to researchers baffled by bad choices of material for expensive digitisation investments? Now, the question is sustaining digital libraries will require overcoming substantial uncertainties about long-term preservation, institutional commitments, and financing. AND here lies the challenge for the digital librarian!!!! Playing the balancing act between management, fast changing needs of the user community and ever changing information storage media and technologies.