The Emerging Technology: 21st Century Web Based Environments and Their Resultant Effect on the Work Responsibilities of Academic Reference Librarians Were the Predictions Correct?

Authors

Hope Marie Cook, Eastern Connecticut State University

Date of this Version

Summer 2006

Document Type

Article

Citation

Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (Summer 2006) 7(2). Also available at http://southernlibrarianship.icaap.org/content/v07n02/cook_h01.htm.

Comments

Copyright 2006, the author. Used by permission.

Abstract

Abstract

This paper will examine the changing work responsibilities and required skills of academic reference librarians in the 21st century due to the evolving advancements in technology. For the purpose of the paper, the term “Web Based Environment” is defined as any library that utilizes local area networks, wide area networks, the Internet, and Intranets to make available electronic information resources. This access is made available to the user community. Utilization of these resources can be obtained both locally and remotely and, therefore, it is understood that the use of these sources may be executed by physically walking into a university library or by utilizing the services in a non-library, off-campus location.