ABSTRACT
The last decade of the 20th century was marked by a huge explosion in the rise and use of the internet, not only by academics and commercial organizations, but by individuals in their own homes, their libraries and cyber cafes. CD-ROM technology had become much more widely available and end-users were getting used to the idea that they could quickly and easily search for the information that they needed without a great deal of intervention from intermediaries. The South Ayrshire Cyber Project aimed to make 15 internet workstations available to the general public by June 1996. Cyber Shack was set up by Hounslow library service, with terminals being made available in an internet centre with the help of local computer companies. The concept of 'hybrid libraries' was introduced – that is to say a library that was not just a traditional book-based library, nor a virtual library, but a combination of the two, utilizing the best of both approaches.
