The changing face of academic libraries: Why less space does not have to mean less impact
The changing face of academic libraries: Why less space does not have to mean less impact Dr. Robert Schwarzwalder Whether we, and our profession, prosper or decline in the coming years will depend upon our ability to adapt to the changing nature of information access. The heart of our profession involves getting needed information to people in a time frame consistent with their needs. As information has gone digital, we have been able to provide access to books, journals and data at any time of day and to any corner of the world. The problem of the past was providing access to a scarce commodity, information. Our clients now have access to more information than they can process, through more channels and more interfaces than can be managed. In this environment of immediate access, the model of the paper library appeals to an ever-shrinking population. In the face of this monumental change, libraries have been slow to evolve. While most academic library collection budgets are shif...