Electronic library and library and information science departments in the Arabian Gulf region

Advances in networking and communication technologies have been widely disc ussed as having the potential to radically change library systems. The term "electronic library" has been accepted by most of the university libraries providing electronic information services. The library educational system is being affected by this technology, and new methods of teaching/learning activities are needed. The aim of this paper is to provide a clear picture of how the Arabian Gulf region library appears today and how the library ed ucational system can meet the changes to provide skilled and trained librar ians to manage, operate, and plan future electronic library systems.