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1. Identify, describe and briefly discuss the primary mission of librariesand some of the primary roles of librarians in todays U.S. society.

Libraries reflect the societies they serve (Rubin, 2010) and thus

their overall mission has continued to change over the last decade. In

the text, Rubin (2010) states that the libraries of today, serve as

archives of commercial and historical records; contain religious and

liturgical works and interpretations; offer a place for students,

scholars, and academics to conduct research; and provide a place for

edifying reading and entertainment (p. 68). Though these still hold

true today, many of these themes have been adapted to fit the needs of

an increasingly diverse and technologically savvy society. As more

materials become available online, many of the historical works that

were once solely found in the stacks of libraries have become obsolete.

Research that was once relegated to academic libraries can now

be done from the comfort of a users home. Librarians have adapted to

this by creating online environments that organize information in

hopes that streamlining the search process will attract a new

generation of users. The ability to create useful information systems

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will become a core skill required of information professionals and

something librarians will need to learn how to manage effectively.

As libraries move to a more user -centered (Rubin, 2010, p.111)

approach to information services, librarians will be forced to become

better acquainted with the tools available to them online and through

a variety of information systems. If libraries and information

professionals are unable to demonstrate their contribution to the

community (Rubin, 2010, p. 68), they run the risk of being seen as

irrelevant and their services deemed unsatisfactory, or worse, no

longer required.

2. Based on the reading, do you believe that current emphasis onelectronic information access leads library and information scienceprofessionals to neglect or aggressively pursue obligations such asorganizing information, teaching people to use information,promotion of wisdom, etc.? In your response, take into account(mention) political, economics, technological and/or social forces thattend to drive issues pertaining to electronic information access.

Based on the readings I have done for both of my library science

courses, I would have to say that information science professionals willcontinue to aggressively pursue obligations such as organizing

information, teaching people to use information and promotion of

wisdom. I believe that they will also continue to actively pursue

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continuing education opportunities, as well as, stay abreast of the

needs of society.

Librarians understand that they have an obligation to be

disseminators of information, but they will also need to become

creators in order to enhance the current ERI infrastructure (Rubin,

2010, p.8). Information science professionals must also deal with a

wide variety of destabilizing factors (Rubin, 2010, p. 70) including, a s

Rubin (2010) states in the text, the flood of information, constant

innovations in technology, and economic, educational, and political

demands and stresses, as well as numerous social problems (p. 70).

In the next few decades, libraries will begin to evolve away from

the typical brick and mortar model, into more of a library without

walls (Rubin, 2010, p. 70). Information will need to be accessible in a

variety of formats and the increased use of mobile devices will require

librarians to create appl ications relevant to their users interests.

Though information science professionals definitely have an

uphill battle ahead of them, they will continue to endure by adapting

to societal changes and increased technological pressures.