New Library World

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a review of discussions and perceptions of librarians' roles in the literature of the last ten years within the context of the impact of the internet on their working life.

Design/methodology/approach – An analysis of the appropriate literature was carried out, focusing on papers explicitly referring to changing roles of librarians and information professionals.

Findings – The literature review found evidence of contrasting attitudes on the part of librarians towards imposing networked and digital technologies in the information landscape. In the internet age librarians need to come to terms with a working environment that is always more dematerialised, and with their users' new information habits. It is apparent that they should be able to find a correct balance between traditional roles and new roles in order to let their professional category survive and continue to be a crucial and vital part in the information society.

Originality/value – An overview of the major themes and issues afforded by information professional since the spread of networked technologies within their working places is provided. It is neither supposed to raise technological issues nor to make an analysis of the latest services and resources for libraries, but rather to concentrate on the human aspects of this topic: perceptions, attitudes, fears and passions towards the internet in the professional life.