The Impact of Technology on Reference Services in a Small Academic Health Sciences Library

Abstract

The impact of technology on library services is an important issue for librariarnship. Numerous articles in the library literature speak to this phenomenon but most deal with the experience of larger libraries. In a small library the magnitude of the impact is proportionatcly greater than in a larger library. Experience in one small academic health sciences library suggests that technology empowers both end users and support staff in ways that allow significant changes in library information services. In particular, developments in user-oriented knowledge allow end users and support staff to receive directly information and services for which the librarian previously served as gatekreper.