These developments have also contributed to the tremendous growth in distance education. Universities are expected to raise more and more of their funding from private sources. In addition, they must justify their costs in terms of outcome measures closely linked to efficiency and productivity. A clear call for assessment of higher education outcomes is coming from legislatures and other funding sources. More collaboration and teamwork is required in the work place.
More courses require students to collaborate on group projects as part of their coursework.
The library has become an important place for these students to meet and work collaboratively. The profile of future students will reflect an increasing diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc. More and more students will experience higher education at a distance. Competition for hiring library school graduates includes software companies and others with deep pockets. The need to attract, hire and retain talented professionals is key to the vitality of academic libraries.