Internet and Reference Services: Implications for Academic Libraries

Abstract

Awareness and availability of information resources on the Internet, the electronic network of networks, have soared in recent years. In the process of considering the potential benefits and costs of using the Internet to access library catalogues, academic libraries discovered the existence of a new world of scholarly communication and remote information access. To take advantage of the valuable resources that are available, primarily through the efforts of research institutions and mostly in the United States, many university and college librarians are now addressing the issues of connecting to the Internet: learning to use the network, identifying resources, and educating and training users. EnvironmentDuring the summer of 1989, Kent State University entered into a contractual agreement with Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) to participate in a telecommunications networking project. CWRU had received a substantial grant to upgrade its campus network environment to a state-of-the-art system. Kent and six other Northeast Ohio academic libraries agreed to make their online catalogues available to CWRU and to each other on the Internet with hardware provided through the grant. Kent received six IBM 3164 terminals which were installed in the libraries' reference centre.The ability to search the online catalogues of many of the Northeast Ohio academic libraries was the original benefit of multiple institution participation in the grant project. While the hardware was being installed, however, more libraries across the United States were making their catalogues accessible over the Internet, presenting additional opportunities for resource sharing.In preparing for public use of the Internet through dedicated terminals, the true significance of Internet access becomes apparent. Patrons can use these terminals as gateways to a vast number of resources. In order to provide guidance, librarians must investigate an unknown, intangible world of information outside the traditional library environment. In addition, a librarian needs to incorporate what is discovered into the structured services (e.g. informing, educating, providing access) for patrons. The technological complexity of Internet requires that librarians be prepared to sell its advantages to patrons, especially those who already suffer from technostress. How would one explain the Internet to a patron who has persistent difficulty in understanding the difference between a CD-ROM index and the library's online catalogue? On the other hand, many students and scholars would jump at the opportunity to use these newly available resources.

Teleinformática y cooperación bibliotecaria

“…El carácter, estructura y alcance de las redes científicas, abiertas, con gran capacidad y versatilidad, accesibles a casi todas las universidades y, dentro de éstas, utilizables desde la informática de sobremesa de los investigadores, hacen de ellas un vehículo ideal para la prestación de servicios de información electrónica, por parte de las bibliotecas universitarias (o al margen de ellas) (9). En el Reino Unido JAN ET es un recurso fundamental para la comunidad bibliotecaria, que es la mayor usuaria de sus servicios ( 1 O).…”

Institutional policy issues for providing public internet access

“…Librarians need to empower users with the necessary tools and skills while users take responsibility for determining the usefulness of resources, particularly interest groups and discussion lists." 8 Do you warn patrons about unverifiable, inaccurate, or anonymous sources of information?…”