World Libraries on the Information Superhighway: Internet-based Library Services

The Internet is no longer a technology with which libraries experiment, dabble, or observe from afar. Rather, it is an integral part of library service that can take many forms—an extension of library collections and resources through licensed and/or digitized content, a gateway service through public access workstations, or a means through which customers can interact with the library through such services as digital reference. The advent of the Internet requires a reconceptualization of the information creation, dissemination, and consumption processes—and the role of libraries in these processes. Moreover, there is a need to examine our ability to engage in the assessment of network-based information services and resources as we move away from input/output evaluation approaches to those grounded in service quality and outcomes frameworks. Information professionals, and those relying on information professionals, face a number of challenges in the networked information resources and services environment. Meeting these challenges requires libraries to consider a variety of issues and strategies, several of which are presented in this article.