Electronic collection management and electronic information services

As the life cycle of information products has become increasingly digital from "cradle to grave," the nature of electronic information management has dramatically changed. These changes have brought new strategies and methods as well as new issues and challenges. At the bottom line the services are increasingly delivered to a desktop from distributed publishers or information providers. Information organizations act either as primary information providers or as brokers between the user and the primary service provider. There has also been a significant reorientation from concept of "ownership" of materials to that of "access" to information. This paper covers developments in thefactors and strategies affecting collection management and access. It will also look at the major trends in electronic user services including electronic information delivery and electronic reference. Finally, it addresses the challenges in user and personnel education in response to an increasingly information literate user population.