Metropolitan Area Networks and the future of networking in the UK

The future of the information society lies not in the 'howling wastes of the Internet' but in the cost-effective library, that concentration of resources and skills. As network charges at site level are introduced and originators of information realise its value as a commodity, Metropolitan Area Networks offer the librarian the opportunity to develop the role of intermediary in an economical hybrid library, a role which will require a redefinition of services, greater emphasis on use support with proficiency in information skilling and training. In order to take the opportunity librarians should cease being passive spectators of the changing information scene and become the SAS of the information world.