Connecting to the Electronic Library:

Abstract

The technology of the electronic library, because of its reliance on remotely accessed databases, has created an environment where the user can autonomously control information flow and content. This environment forces reference librarians to redefine their relationship with the user community, shifting their role from a mediator of preestablished information sources to a partner in the creation of individual databases. This shift in paradigm requires that reference librarian training shift its focus from a source-orientation to a process-orientation.