Strategic Issues in Electronic Librarianship

Abstract

All of us working in Turkish libraries at the start of the 3rd millennium are very much aware that we are engaged in an "uphill struggle" in nearly every aspect of our work. Technology continues to evolve at a pace so rapid we can barely stay abreast of information disseminated about it, let alone harness it to our advantage and, more importantly, to the benefit of our patrons. Even the issues we discuss this year in varous meetings on digital librarianship will change betore the year is out. Yet our mission will remain essentially unchanged, and we must fulfill it, meeting myriad needs with limited means. Using Koç University Library as a case in point, this paper identifies strategic issues facing Turkish libraries today and relates information about some interesting initiatives being taken by our American and British colleagues in dealing with them. Key issues are: redefining collection development, acquiring the right mix ot resources, deciding what to save and how to preserve it, and creating viable mechanisms tor cooperative endeavors.