From the University Librarian

It is with great pleasure and anticipation that I sit down to write this column. On the job as university librarian for just three weeks, I have begun to learn the intricacies of the Georgetown University library system, the great resources available on campus in the form of faculty, students, and staff, and the loyal and strong support of the Library Associates.

Libraries everywhere are in a stage of transition; academic libraries are facing changes wrought by the increasing intensity of the "Information Age," and at the same time are challenged by budgetary stringencies that stem from the difficulties being encountered by their parent institutions. The library of the future is likely to focus almost as much on access to remotely located information as on the building of locally held stores of information.

The Lauinger Library, while not an exception to this phenomenon, has in its favor a very strong collection of research materials, built by a caring staff and faculty with the intense involvement of its Associates. It is this care and involvement that will be ever more important as the library copes with the questions of providing access to information in all forms and in remote locations to its users.

The 1980s was the last decade of the truly traditional library. As we approach the twenty-first century, we do so with the knowledge that we must simultaneously keep and care for the traditional print collections, while ensuring access to new information in new formats. Extending these parallel paths will require more space, and definitely more resources, than maintaining the print collection alone, but it is the only way to support the research and educational enterprise of the future.

We are embarked on a new journey, which will be successful with the strong support of the Library Associates. I very much look forward to working with you!

Susan K. Martin