Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The library is truly becoming the “heart of the campus” as academic librarians
further develop their roles to support their work in broad dissemination of and ac-
cess to the institution's scholarship. This is in large part an action that responds to
our changing society in this digital era, in which interacting with information sup-
ports a participatory culture where individuals are able to learn in groups in an on-
line environment.
Librarians have become a vital part of the instruction for college students.
Librarians are taking an active role with the instruction of information literacy skills,
building and publishing local research materials and data sets, providing open-ac-
cess options, and forging complex relationships with other colleagues on the aca-
demic campus. These relationships have fostered the collaboration that has con-
tributed to the creation of the information commons. Transformations in the pub-
lishing and education delivery environments are providing abundant opportunities
for collaboration and partnerships among academic librarians and those in the aca-
demic community.
Academic libraries are also creating research commons where, in designing the
physical space of the actual library buildings, services and technological systems
are also built to support group learning and interaction. The open access move-
ment provides access to data and information worldwide to support research and
learning. Librarians are leading in a collaborative movement to support both learn-
ing and research and to bridge both the technology divide and the participation
gap, using the Internet to enhance communication.
While supporting the teaching and learning process for the education of stu-
dents, a major function of the library is to partner with the faculty while they pursue
research, teaching, and service. The library has been a major contributor to the
process of publication and access to scholarship. It is one now because the library
field has recognized that the academic library's function is to support research and
teaching and to be a partner. It is as a partner that there is a move away from ser-
vice and more into a collaborative role of building local content and collections of
the institution's scholarship and research collections. The library has always been
a silent partner, and now it is becoming a fundamental player on campus.
The university's mission has been actualized by the library as a contributing re-
searcher for society's well-being and advancement. The academic library is a vital
contributor to the university's mission.
Summary
As noted in the overview of the information infrastructure and current library and
information services, it is apparent that old and emergent paradigm technologies,
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