ABSTRACT
The changes in management of libraries and information centers are a microcosm of what is happening in the United States economy. Such development will result in substantial changes in the structure of libraries and information services, revenue bases for operations, and competencies required of library and information professionals and users. There are at least four sets of obstacles to significant expansion of network-based information transfer services: added costs, user resistance, institutional problems, and fragmented enterprise. General computer-based information services are far more cost effective than manual searches. Some institutional problems arise from the fact that several different administrative entities in a university have responsibility for information transfer functions that could be far more effectively integrated. Perhaps the most serious obstacle to achieving fuller benefits from the potentials of networking technologies is the fragmented nature of the information marketplace. Information may be held in different forms at different stages in the transmission cycle, depending upon systems and use parameters.
