The significant growth in information technology allows more people to become independent users of information sources. The convenience of remote access, browsing, retrieval, and document delivery means that patrons can use libraries without the help of a librarian and without physically visiting the library. Ironically, this trend toward disintermediation has led to increased levels of assistance by librarians as they engage in new roles to provide technical support and navigation among the waves of Web sites. Many libraries have optimized available technology to enhance existing services or have expanded outreach to better support remote users. Similarly, libraries support users' direct access to numerous vendor databases and other information resources, eliminating the need for interlibrary loan staff to mediate such transactions.
Technology also provides opportunities to design and introduce new services.
Many libraries in the United States and elsewhere have since joined this trend to provide remote access to their electronic reserve room. Remote reference and on-line bibliographic instruction are added examples of support to remote users. Distance education students expect equitable library support from the parent institution. To accommodate this need, partnerships among academic libraries, distance education centers, public libraries, and special libraries have grown to provide on-line support to distance education students. The challenges for librarians seem clear new technology, remote users with higher expectations, and a new information infrastructure that threatens the future of traditional libraries.