Communication and Delivery Systems for Librarians

The stance of this book is essentially forward looking. Techniques such as on-line searching, have been employed for 20 years, but developments such as the imminent transformation of the international telephone network will provide a new and revolutionary environment for the information provider. Such communication and delivery systems are becoming essential tools for librarians. These range from wide-area networks such as the public telephones system, through local-area networks and CD ROMs. Not only has the librarian to become familiar with the technology but must also understand the implications for the dissemination of information and the role of the professional information provider. The book briefly examines the background to the new technologies, then looks at the way these technologies may develop and new techniques now only at the experimental stage. Roy Adams then discusses the effects of these technological changes on the delivery of information and the ways in which it is subsequently employed and manipulated. As a result of these technical organizational and structural changes the librarian's role will change based on the need to provide added value to raw information.
The book focuses on the new environment and the way librarians need to respond in order to provide a continued role in society and commerce.