The librarian at the end of the galaxy

Abstract

Assesses the future of libraries and librarians regarding the impact of technology; presents evidence for and against their decline. Particular points made include: the example of a US journal publisher who announced at a meeting of librarians that he was going to stop publishing in print form in favour of online access, with users receiving information from their own terminals; the uneven adoption of technology around the UK and the world suggests librarians have a role in ensuring an unbridgeable gap does not develop between the information rich and the information poor; and the arrival of information superhighways, together with the development of user‐friendly software and cheaper hardware means the end of the need for libraries and librarians. Concludes that librarians do have a secure future in cyberspace, but only if they adapt to their changing environment.

Citation

Shimmon, R. (1995), "The librarian at the end of the galaxy", New Library World, Vol. 96 No. 3, pp. 43-48. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074809510085325