Towards a Networked National Library

Abstract

As a consequence of developments in information technology, libraries are more than ever confronted with new threats and opportunities. This concerns national libraries, as well as public libraries and university libraries. Services and logistical processes are to be redesigned, but also the role of libraries in society comes under scrutiny. From a social and political point of view, one might argue that libraries are needed more than ever, but as information becomes digitally available, this is far from evident for all those responsible for libraries' sustainability. National libraries have a special position, not only within the library sector but also in society, in their own right as well as on behalf of the library sector. This is even more true in the information society. After a short overview of the history of national libraries, the article describes a number of relevant trends in the information society that affect libraries and considers the medium-term consequences, especially for the national library, its role in the library world and within modern society. Finally a more speculative, long-term vision of national libraries as networked organisations is presented, not as a blueprint, but as a guiding perspective for decisions about national infrastructure.