Academic libraries in the information society

The way that higher education library services are viewed, planned and managed must change radically if they are to survive and thrive in the future. Advances in technology, economic and political pressures, and socio‐demographic factors have combined to create an environment posing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The Joint Funding Councils′ Libraries Review has highlighted the need for stronger management and more confident involvement in institutional planning and organizational change. Electronic communication will transform service provision, with significant shifts towards distributed networked services, empowering the end‐user and offering new roles and responsibilities to information intermediaries. Effective communication between library, computing and academic staff will be essential to ensure relevant and responsive services. New resource models will be required to take account of diverse customer needs and different modes of delivery. Organizational structures and management styles must change to meet future needs and human resource development must be given higher priority. Bold leadership will enable libraries to enhance their strategic role and respond positively to environmental change.