Alexander Library: Transition to the Future

Within the unified system of the Rutgers University Libraries, Alexander Library has been established as the research library for humanities and social sciences, and delivers services and builds collections on this basis. It is a repository of scholarly resources which provides access to worlds of information inside and outside the building; an environment conducive to the process of information seeking, analyzing and synthesizing; and provides assistance to patrons in need of these resources. All library activities being carried out by librarians and staff are for a single purpose: providing meaningful services effectively to the target audience—library patrons in the Rutgers community and beyond. In keeping with its service mission, the Library must be sensitive to the needs of Rutgers students and faculty of today and tomorrow, support the philosophy and goals of the university, and must operate effectively within a constantly changing environment. A major factor which will continue to affect the Library's operations is the rapidly developing computer and telecommunications technology. The impact is as significant as the invention of movable typesetting on the publishing world. Today, formats in which information is stored are no longer limited to manuscripts, books, journals, microforms, CDs, or laser disks. Electronic means for generating, retrieving and disseminating information have already broadened the concept of library services beyond the walls of the building. In order for the library to deliver meaningful services effectively, librarians must constantly reassess service priorities, learn and apply new technology, and make decisions on emerging issues. The newly expanded and renovated Alexander Library building must be responsive to this on-going transition.