Rethinking professional competence for the networked environment

Advances in information and communication technologies are having a significant impact on library and information services in all sectors of society. Academic Libraries have historically been at the forefront of electronic library developments and the use of information technology (IT) in the sector can be traced back over more than four decades, but there is no room for complacency as the changes currently in train are arguably more profound and more extensive than those experienced in previous eras. This chapter will look at the new electronic environment, the changing roles that it requires and the consequent implications for staff development.