Many new social and technological developments are revolutionizing library services and leading to a fundamental rethinking of the role of library in society. The way ahead for the profession is now generally seen as a practical blend of traditional and electronic materials often referred to as the 'hybrid' library. This timely new book offers a clear model of how traditional and electronic sources can co-exit in the library of the future. The author examines the changes being brought about by the widespread availability of direct user access to information, and poses the question, 'Why do we still need libraries?' The suggested response is that libraries still have a major role to play as expert intermediaries, helping users gain access to the tools needed for effective acquisition and use of information, within the broader context of the the networked information world. Librarians of the future will need to see themselves in new roles, and will require wide-ranging training in order to become new style information experts. This incisive text, supported by an extensive glossary and bibliography, proposes a practical agenda of issues for the information profession to tackle in the opening years of the twenty-first century, and is essential reading for both established practitioners and LIS students, as well as for library managers and administrators across all sectors. (from book jacket)