ABSTRACT
Increasingly libraries are coming under pressure to accommodate users who wish to have greater and faster access to information sources. The world of research seems to be drawing closer to the ultimate goal of having instant access to all information at all times. Ten years ago faculty and students might have expressed their expectation of the library simply as: “All I ask is that, when I go to the library to look for something, the book I want will be on the shelf.” Today they are more likely to express it as: “All I ask is that you provide me quick access to everything out there I might want.” Whereas ten years ago the primary emphasis was still on finding and obtaining what was needed from the library, now the issue of when an article or book can be obtained is becoming as important as gaining access to it.
