Newlayers of library services: possibilities and challenges of providing e-learning services by libraries

Abstract

Information society has introduced new needs and demands towards libraries. The answer of libraries has been the development and integration of a rangé of new services into their existing system. When the implementation of a new service fails, the risk is that the provision of the service will be taken out of the scope of libraries. The layers of library and documentation services are supported and enhanced by the digital environment. E-learning materials alsó constitute a prospective new layer, but their integration and provision by libraries brings up a number of theoretical, technical and financial issues. Several libraries have reported to introduce the provision of e-learning materials, but this practice only means, in most cases, the provision of electronically stored texts free of charge or as a paying service. Thus the issues presented by the author can only be dealt with at the levél of theory and cannot offer practical solutions. However, the article encompasses a broad rangé of issues, from the questions of uni-fied cataloguing of metadata of e-learning materials to the creation of individual e-learning spaces for readers at libraries.