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Blazej Feret: Technical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
Marzena Marcinek: Cracow University of Technology, Cracow, Poland
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: This paper was originally presented at IATUL '99, Chania, Crete, Greece, May, 1999. The authors are very grateful to all the experts, thanks to whom this study was possible; especially that, despite the basic rules of Delphi method, we were unable to offer any substantial motivation to work with us. Additional thanks go to Simon Francis who helped us to correct our, far from perfect, English. [copyright]IATUL, 1999.
Keywords Academic libraries, Librarians, Information brokers, Delphi method
Abstracts Identifies the most important trends in changes that are occurring in academic libraries and their impact on the role of the academic library as a whole, with focus on the skills and characteristics of a new-century librarian. To achieve this goal a Delphi study was conducted between December 1998 and April 1999 involving 23 key library experts from ten countries. The study was entitled: "What will be the role of an academic library and skills of an academic librarian in the year 2005?"
Introduction
The impressive pace of technological change influences all aspects of human communication. It is crucial that libraries prepare a range of responses to the pressing library questions of the electronic era. There are also other factors that shape the vision of the academic library today and in the near future. What are they? What will the future library activities be? What steps should the average library undertake to be well prepared for the future? What skills should a librarian of the new millennium have? These and many more questions are asked and answered today by many people. Sometimes their opinions are totally opposite. Who is right? Who can predict the future?
The authors themselves do not pretend to know the answers to those challenging questions. We undertook a Delphi study, the aim of which was to find the most probable scenario for the academic library of the future. A Delphi method was selected because its core is co-operation with a panel of experts in the field. Based on their opinions concerning the specified problems, we have determined the most important trends in changes observed in the library environment. The aim of this paper is to present...