Access Services in the 21st Century

Abstract

Information technologies have transformed libraries in ways that most academic librarians could not have imagined twenty years ago. Traditional services, such as interlibrary loan and document delivery, have changed dramatically with the advent of technology and new telecommunications protocols. Electronic access to a myriad of databases, the proliferation of Internet sites, and patron expectations of speedy service have forced academic libraries to re-examine how they function. Higher education is no longer campus bound. Where librarians once served as the gatekeepers to information, that role is less important, as patrons now find information without the use of an intermediary. Thus, the questions for those librarians working in access services areas become those of service and resource provision. This chapter will examine interlibrary loan, electronic reserves, licenses and contracts, and the impact of distance learning on access to electronic resources and services.