The Emerging Research Library: Our Role in the Digital Future

The chapters included in this book were developed from papers presented at "The Emerging Research Library: Our Role in the Digital Future" Conference sponsored by the University of Oklahoma Libraries. These chapters explore the emergence of a new form of academic library and the challenging issues we face as a profession because of the changing role of the academic library. Issues discussed include the changing profession, new publishing models, the reallocation of spaces, the preservation of past knowledge, changing user behaviours, and improving access to information. This book also provides possible suggestions for helping academic libraries transition into the future, including re-evaluation of professional expectations and abandoning past practices, enhancing the use of metadata, responding to user behaviours, long-term planning for preservation, the promotion of open access initiatives, and extending professional inclusion and collaboration. Each chapter engages the question of how academic libraries will adapt to the challenges arising from their new role as facilitators of research in the information age. Together these chapters present an impressive set of reflections on the changes that are necessary for emerging research libraries to flourish in an increasingly digital future, and this book is recommended reading for scholars and professional librarians.

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Library Administration.

Sul H. Lee is Peggy V. Helmerich Chair and professor of Library and Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma and dean of University of Oklahoma Libraries. Professor Lee has taught in the School of Library and Information Sciences and directs a major university research library with a collection exceeding 5 million volumes. He has served as professor and dean at the University of Oklahoma since 1978 and is the senior dean on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, Oklahoma.