Regional Information Center for Science & Technology
Abstract
University libraries are shifting from custodial to an access role in a rapidly evolving networked society. Within the campus, it is the library which seeks open access to all types of information and encourages free intellectual inquiry. If the library is to make its claim as the "heart of the university" a reality, it is critical for librarians to obtain the needed skills in the provision and promotion of information services to meet the research, teaching and learning needs of the university. The paper will examine a number of ways in which the rapid growth of the Internet, as well as the emergence of new information technologies, impact the university library's mission statement and goals. The paper concludes that the new environment requires a new technical set of competencies for librarians which were not previously required
