Initially, most of the electronic products mounted on networks duplicated paper products already housed in the library. As the technologies proved themselves, libraries began canceling paper subscriptions and relying on electronic access alone. The networks became so important that when they occasionally went down, patrons' pursuit of information was seriously impeded, and administrative and technical services operations were paralyzed. The result of all this growth and dependence has been the realization that computerized systems have become mission- critical to library organizations. If the systems do not perform well, patrons do not have access to important bodies of information, and employees are idled.
Unstable systems can lead to many problems for the library.
If library systems are not perceived to be reliable, users may simply bypass the library altogether. User constituencies, such as departments in a college or university, may decide to create separate collections of information resources or may deal directly with an information vendor rather than working through the library. The result for the library is a weakened position and a decreased ability to gain the resources necessary to grow. The institution loses resources due to inefficiency in the purchasing and licensing of information sources and possible duplication of effort and materials as both the library and the department build separate collections. Libraries should be alert to the problem.