Expanding Desktop Libraries

Virtual libraries, no longer a novelty, reflect the expectations of students in distance learning environments. The phenomenal growth of the Internet and public reliance on it as a primary information resource impacts library services to students learning at a distance. Major trends such as telecommuting and the changing profile of traditional college students have fueled the demand for distance education. Distance learning has become an attractive alternative especially for working adults, military servicepersons, and rural residents (Hanson, 2001). The proliferation of distance learning opportunities both within traditional universities, corporate training centers, virtual or online institutions, and other learning collaborations has had considerable implications for the provision of library services to distance students; indeed, it has been argued that distance learning without access to electronic information resources and services is simply impossible (Faulhaber, 1996). Concurrent with the emergence of the virtual university has been the rise of the virtual library. This essay defines the virtual library and situates it within the context of contemporary electronic learning and student expectations.