ABSTRACT
Academic research libraries are in the critical process of transformation. They are being transformed from collection centered organizations to access organizations; from repositories of the printed format to organizations that are less tied to place, to paper, and to print. They are linking users to information held locally or available remotely, and empowering users to become self-sufficient information finders. Their mission is not changing-they have always sought to connect scholars with needed information; but the means available to increase the success of that mission are changing drastically with the advent of electronic access. As such, the roles played by the library in the scholarly communication process are becoming more proactive, assertive, and collaborative.
