A view to the future of the library and information science profession: A Delphi study

A Delphi study conducted in Israel during 1998-2000 examined the views of library and information science (LIS) experts on the future of the profession in light of the changes in information technology. The study focused on three areas: (a) the transition from the traditional to the virtual library; (b) the transition from the technical to user-centered approach, and (c) the skills and the roles of the LIS professionals. The study found that most experts believe that the traditional library will continue to operate along with the virtual library. Most of the experts agree that in the future, libraries will place larger emphasis on customer services. LIS professionals will be specialists in locating, filtering, and evaluating information, and will be primary instructors in the use of new information technologies. This study's conclusions closely match those of the Kaliper project (1998-2000), which examined the change in the curricula of LIS schools.