Changing Role of Library Professional in Digital Environment: A Study

Abstract

New paradigms has evolved in the field of library and information science in last two decades due to ICT impact and digitalization of library resources and totally change the earlier meaning of library from document preservation to knowledge management. The library professionals are facing new challenges because of unprecedented explosion of information and its availability in different forms which are created by globalization, privatization and liberalization of every aspect of human life in one way and emergence of ICT and its application in generation, communication and access of information in another way. To cope with these problems, the modern librarianship needs to be change in their philosophy and practices from custodian of document to information provider. There has been a paradigm shift in the way libraries used to manage as traditional store house to access providers. Therefore, the present digital environment has brought a lot of changes not only on the library and information services but also on the roles and expectations of the library professionals to satisfy their user’s information demand.