DISTRIBUTION IN AN ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENT, OR WILL THERE BE LIBRARIESAS WE KNOW THEM IN THE INTERNET WORLD

THE NEW TECHNOLOGY AND communication tools that are available today ar e much more powerful than those available even a few years ago. The ch annels for access and distribution of information and knowledge are mu ch more diverse, they collapse the wait time, and provide more tools d irectly to the user. While libraries will not be replaced, they will n eed to adapt their methodologies to take advantage of the new tools. T he library that successfully adapts its systems for collection, preser vation, organization, and distribution of information and knowledge to the new technology will become a much more central institution in the community served.