Reference and Information Service Section Conference and Exhibition 6-8 September 1999, Sydney Hilton, Australia

Reference Librarians: Survival Strategies for the Digital Age.

Rapid changes in the information environment and the need to develop effective responses to them, means that libraries must undertake a fundamental review of the traditional role of reference librarians and the skills and abilities that are prized most highly.

Subject knowledge, once regarded as the pre-eminent qualification, must now be assessed in the context of other essential skills and qualities. Focussing on client needs and expectations, we must develop staff to ensure that they have the communication, marketing, negotiating and IT skills essential in the new era of digital libraries.

Lyn McCullagh, Deputy University Librarian, Macquarie University Library