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The Human Element in the Virtual Library - a change to virtual libraries seems underway, and librarians are more important than ever as these changes take place - author abstract

Library Trends, Spring, 1999 by Laverna M. Saunders

INTRODUCTION

Libraries are part of society and reflect changes that take place in that society. At the close of the twentieth century, electronic technology has permeated all facets of daily life. Digital clocks have become standard in cars, microwaves, VCRs, cable boxes, and even thermostats. Schools teach keyboarding instead of typing. The personal computer is more affordable than ever before, and some companies offer an option for periodic upgrades assuring, for a price, that the machine will never become obsolete. Radio and television commercials now include a Web address as a basic means of contacting a company. Changes such as these have affected people in developed countries worldwide.

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Over this decade, technological change has been the dominant force reshaping libraries. It has affected all aspects of technical and public services, administrative functions, and organizational structures in every type of library. In the process of adapting rapidly and repeatedly to increasingly more complex technologies, users and staff have experienced physical and emotional stress. The same technology that has enabled rapid communication and information transfer around the globe has challenged the traditions and values of the people who use, and those who work in, libraries.

Speaking at a Library Information and Technology Association (LITA) program in 1990, Charles McClure gave a daunting list of challenges facing network users, among which were inadequate education and training, lack of technical standards, complex or unknown procedures, insufficient or uneven network capacity, unreliability of data transmission, poor documentation, inadequate directories, and insufficient connectivity (in Saunders, 1992, p. 69). Many of these concerns have now been resolved through widespread use of the Internet and Web, greater adherence to, and use of, standards such as TCP/IP (transport control protocol/Internet protocol) and HTTP (hypertext transport protocol), and the availability of more powerful and affordable computers with telecommunications access. It seems that technological issues have been easier to solve than human issues. Education and training, for example, are continuing problems as technology changes and as new generations of users come to the library.

DEFINING THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY

During the 1990s, the term "virtual library" became a standard way of describing libraries that offer access to digital information using a variety of networks including the Internet and World Wide Web. Other phrases that have been used interchangeably with virtual library are "library without walls," "electronic library," or "digital library." Martin (1992) referred to the virtual library as a concept of information housed electronically and deliverable without regard to its location or time. Gapen (1993) presented a holistic sense of the virtual library with the definition, "of remote access to the contents and services of libraries and other information sources, combining an on-site collection of current and heavily used materials in both print and electronic form, with an electronic network which provides access to, and delivery from, external worldwide library and commercial information and knowledge sources" (p. 1). According to Gapen, the virtual library creates a synergy for users by bringing together technologically the resources of numerous libraries and information services. Essentially, the virtual library is a metaphor for the networked library (von Wahlde, 1993, p. 38).

In the early stages of development, libraries focused on providing dial-up access to online public access catalogs (OPACs). In 1992, the Internet-Accessible Library Catalogs and Databases, compiled by Art St. George and Ron Larsen, listed a total of 92 libraries in the United States and 107 libraries outside the United States (Saunders & Mitchell, 1996, p. 4). In 1995, HYTELNET listed 677 U. S. libraries and consortia (Saunders, 1995, p. 4). By 1997, Web access was pervasive, and Peter Scott found that he could not continue to maintain HYTELNET (http://library.usask.ca/ hytelnet), which included an extensive list of libraries worldwide with links to their catalogs. Even in its static format, HYTELNET averaged more than 5,000 hits per day in August 1998 according to a statistical chart at the site. Most libraries now have a home page that links to local information, electronic bibliographic and full-text databases, and the library's online system.

USERS' EXPECTATIONS

Digital technology has changed people's concept of time. Because computers retrieve and process information rapidly, users expect speed in all aspects of their lives, including their transactions with the library. According to Metz (1990), peoples' experiences with technology in everyday life outside the library have changed their expectations for libraries: "The modern user knows it is possible to use an automatic teller card across the country to obtain cash; to change airline and hotel reservations from a car phone; and to fax a copy of an article to Australia. Is it any wonder that our users get frustrated when they can't get what they want when they want it?" (p. 31).

The Human Element in the Virtual Library - a change to virtual libraries seems underway, and librarians are more important than ever as these changes take place - author abstract

Library Trends, Spring, 1999 by Laverna M. Saunders

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