But with electronic documents storing a copy locally becomes optional rather than necessary. The dispensing role, therefore, which accounts for most of the expense, also appears to offer the greatest potential for innovation and cost avoidance in the move to the Electronic Library. If the Electronic Library were to stimulate some of the demand for library service which is currently latent, then it is unlikely that there would be enough library staff to mediate it. A further shift from service to self-service in library provision is indicated. Although the initial use of computers tends to be a mechanization of existing procedures, simply substituting the new technology for the old misses the point of technological change.
Different technologies have different capabilities and different constraints.
Sooner or later, redesign rather than a substitution is to be expected. As these changes take place, we can expect changes in library organization and governance. I do not know what these changes will be, but, since form should follow function, such changes should follow naturally from changes in the design of library services if we remain flexible. It will be noted that this is the same as the list of consequences of moving from the Paper Library to the Automated Library. This is reassuring because it means that we have already had substantial experience in dealing with them.