Information Technology and the Evolution of the Library

The purpose of this research is to examine the current state of information technology use among academic and research libraries to gain insight into the level of maturity of various emerging technologies e.g., the Institutional Repository to provide descriptive guidance and context to other institutions considering their use. The research uses a single case design with multiple units of analysis. It draws evidence from interviews of personnel from research and education libraries chosen from a range of sizes, foci, and jurisdictions. This evidence is coupled with a review of these institutions public documentation to assess what libraries are doing today to meet the needs of the customers and institutions they serve, and what they plan to do in the future. Respondents cited several key information technologies -- institutional repositories, federated searching, and other integrated library services -- that are helping them fulfill their missions. Interview and archival search results demonstrate a marked drive toward increased collaboration among institutions and regional repositories, a desire to provide rich content and seamless interfaces to library customers, and a trend towards hybrid systems to meet institutional archive and faculty communication needs.