This book seeks to examine the strategic issues in realizing a digital future for libraries and librarians. The rapid expansion of the internet and of electronic communications means that the gathering, storage and transmission of information present fresh challenges to those responsible for preserving the cultural memory of society. Given the magnitude of the information explosion, it would be all too easy to view the future of libraries, and of librarians, as purely determined by technology. We prefer to take a holistic view of the digital domain, and try to situate new developments in their social, cultural and historic contexts. We do not advocate technology for its own sake, and we hope this book maps the transition of libraries into the wired world as evolution not revolution.

The authors are conscious that a single work cannot cover in any great depth all the issues facing librarians and other information workers as they engage in digital activities. This book is therefore planned as the first in a series of Digital Futures volumes, each of which will deal in more detail with a major topic in digital library research and development. Anyone interested in contributing to such a series is invited to contact the authors at marilyn.deegan@qeh.ox.ac.uk and s.g.tanner@herts.ac.uk.

We have assumed little prior knowledge in our audience, rather an interest and concern about where cultural institutions are headed in the changing world of information and communication. However, we have included some technical explanation to aid a basic understanding of the fundamental issues. Because this field gives rise to a great deal of new specialist terminology, we have provided a glossary of key terms, acronyms and abbreviations.

The chapters follow a logical progression from creating and collecting digital content through to its delivery and management for the long term. They can, however, be read and understood individually. We look at how librarians and information workers can locate the electronic resources most relevant to the needs of their users, integrate these resources into the infrastructure of their institutions, manage the necessary technology, and anticipate future trends in the digital age. This book is intended to be most useful to librarians, archivists and information managers in libraries and information organizations of all types: educational, public and corporate.