The Human Element in the Virtual Library

THISARTICLE INTRODUCES THE CONCEPT of the virtual library and also explores how the increasing reliance on computers and digital information has affected library users and staff. In particular, technology has created an expectation for full-text information delivered to the desktop at the user’s convenience. As the technologies used by libraries have evolved, library jobs, organizational structures, and working conditions have changed. Some facets of the virtual library present challenges to the intellectual, social, and physical needs of adults and children. In the midst of technological change, the traditional library mission of service and access is still relevant, and librarians are needed more than ever before to help users cope with changing technologies and to humanize the virtual library.