First the easy part. A year or so ago I realized that a major divide had been crossed when, in response to explaining to a student at the Reference Desk that the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) was an electronic substitute for the card catalog, I received a blank look. The first representative of a new generation raised in the “electronic age” had presented herself! Although the Library launched its OPAC a bit longer than a decade ago, it was the critical precursor of many subsequent developments. For the first time it had became possible to do library research without having to be physically in the Library.

Since then the number of electronic information resources offered by the Library has steadily grown, and the means for using them remotely has become easier and available to a wider audience. The Library was a leader in the use of CD-ROM technology and moved quickly from providing a single, dedicated workstation for each CD-ROM database to a networked environment in which numerous users could simultaneously utilize a particular resource. The rapid growth of the Internet has presented a superior delivery system, and today most of the Library’s ninety-plus databases are provided through this medium. While at first access to these resources was available only on campus, because our contracts with information vendors require verification that users are CSUF-affiliated, today additional options are available. A couple of years ago the Library welcomed the introduction of the Titan Internet Access service, which for the first time offered the campus community a vehicle for remote access to these resources. And, now, being implemented this semester is a proxy server solution that will authenticate users automatically, regardless of which Internet service provider they use.

The content the Library provides electronically has also changed considerably since we secured our first CD-ROM product. Today “full-text” is the name of the game. Databases that contain only citations to the relevant literature, thereby forcing users to seek elsewhere for the text in paper, are viewed as an annoying transition on the road to the Nirvana of having “everything” available electronically. More on this point later.

The opening of the new north wing of the Pollak Library in 1996 was another high point. The welcoming atmosphere provided by a bright, shining building with many windows (compared to the “windowless wonder” of the south wing), and lots of comfortable study space, has contributed greatly to the campus perception that the Library is meeting its mission of being the gateway to needed information resources. The increasingly visible role of Library faculty in promoting information competency, as well as improved budgets over the past five years, have doubtless also played a large part in the current very positive impressions of the Library and its services.

Now to the harder part. Peering even a short distance--in this case a decade—into the future is always a somewhat risky proposition, and the chances of being proved wrong are omnipresent. Nevertheless, let me begin by knocking down the straw man set up above—the Nirvana of having “everything” available electronically. This is not likely to happen in a decade, if ever. Just as television did not completely replace either radio or the movies, so it seems highly unlikely that print will be completely supplanted by electronic delivery. The two formats will coexist, and information will be communicated using the vehicle most relevant to the content. Thus it seems much more likely that article-length content—with which academe is most familiar from scholarly journals—will become available electronically faster and in a higher percentage than will the content of complete books. Currency, length, convenience, cost, and audience are some of the factors involved in the speed and depth of the transition from print to electronic. The end of the next decade will certainly see a considerable increase in the amount of full-text information, but the many factors that have contributed to the over 500-year success of the book as an information packaging device will not be completely superseded by the “new” technology in this time frame.

Some book-length content is already available electronically, and the publishing industry is experimenting and testing the waters with various delivery and marketing strategies. The CSU is currently launching a pilot e-book project, with Fullerton participating as one of six campuses responsible for selection and assessment. Circa 1,500 e-books will be available for electronic perusal online. The results of this experiment will be quite informative as to the types of material that best lend themselves to electronic delivery and online reading. We will also learn more about reader receptivity to this changed environment.

Libraries always have been and will continue to be more than their collections of print and electronic resources. The need for interpretative services in locating as well as using appropriate and quality information resources does not diminish in an electronic/remote environment. In fact, the need may actually increase. A person wishing to utilize a library through remote access may have questions related not only to successfully making the electronic connection, but also on how to make best use of the resources once connected. Thus, in conjunction with the expanded use expected by remote users following implementation of a proxy server, the Library is actively exploring ways of providing reference service remotely in a real-time environment. Chat-room software offers possibilities, as does use of the more traditional telephone. Experiments with both will be undertaken in the near future.

The Library is also developing ways of getting materials requested on interlibrary loan into the hands of users in a more timely fashion. Elsewhere in this issue can be found the details about forthcoming enhancements in this service. “Document delivery” is the library jargon term used to describe both "low-" and "high-tech" mechanisms for securing resources not owned locally. The Library expects that the range of user options in this arena will be considerably expanded over the next ten years.

Thus the Pollak Library a decade hence will be a somewhat different place, but one changed through evolution rather than revolution. The core mission of connecting users with information resources will continue, although the mechanisms for doing so will undoubtedly be changed and enhanced. The percentage of materials available electronically will also be larger, and the content will be more varied. Since campuses are not expected to wither away as a result of growth in “distance education” programs, large number of students will continue to make use of the facilities. However, they will have the option of doing the research required for their classes either on-site or remotely, and we can be confident that differences in the quality and extent of resources available to distance learners will continue to diminish.

Richard Pollard
University Librarian