Introduction

In October 2010, the British Library staged a debate on the motion ‘Is the physical library redundant in the 21st century?’ The outcome was predictably inconclusive, given that the debate was taking place in the UK's most prestigious physical library building. It did, however, underline the fact that the widespread availability of digital technology has already changed the nature of libraries in a relatively short space of time. In the space of little more than a decade, the potential scope of library collections has been dramatically expanded, and the facility to replicate and deliver information to users has been transformed. At the same time, the coherence and organization of library collections has been challenged by the organic growth and pervasive use of digital material available through the internet, providing immediate access to information from the desktop or mobile phone, and raising for some the question of whether libraries will maintain their role of guide and gatekeeper.

In terms of collection development, the conventional discussion of ‘holdings’ and ‘access’ has necessarily shifted, since most of the digital content sought and used by colleges and universities is hosted on remote servers – either provided by the original owner or publisher, or at a recognized data centre – but that content needs to be presented to library users alongside the continuing print collection. However, the library will normally wish to assure itself that the digital material will continue to be available on a permanent basis. Though the material is not physically held, it nevertheless forms part of the library's collection, rather than an external information source. For the foreseeable future, mainstream library collections are likely to be hybrid, and librarians will face challenges in presenting a coherent view of their collections to users.

Development of the hybrid library

In general, technological advances frequently work on a ‘push’ basis, where the technology uncovers a possible approach and the search for applications and appropriate business models then begins. This approach can be seen in the development of commercial e-books and in the rollout of digital versions of newspapers, now beginning to withdraw behind pay walls in order to protect revenue streams.