The only problem is that as we innovate, we also have to contend with the problem of trying to do more with dwindling resources. Librarians sit and wonder how they will be able to bring the benefits of the Internet to their customers as they struggle to contend with the day to day rigors of their jobs. Old dogma concerning the nature of collections needs to give way to innovative ideas on providing access to information upon demand. Libraries need to see themselves as components of a broader information coalition rather than parts of monolithic bibliographic bureaucracies. However, we have become obsessed with the number of volumes rather than motivated to provide useful information to our clients.
Giant libraries carry their aging, brittle collections like shells upon the backs of snails.
But everywhere there is reason for optimism. This is an exciting and important time to be a librarian. The field is changing and we all need the insights and creativity of our peers in finding new models for a very old profession. It is not an accident that interest in our group, and membership, has been increasing. ELD fills a role that other groups, such as ALA or SLA, do not.