Towards a new generation of university libraries

University libraries cannot be understood solely as providers of information resources. They also –and importantly– have a social role as a place where various sectors of the university community come together. Librarians should embrace this role by implementing innovative policies, not just in terms of digital resources, but also by taking an active interest in the way their users interact with the library itself and with other people there. It is vitally important to adapt the professional skills set by studying the attitudes of professional librarians to the role of libraries as physical and social spaces –an area that is now, at long last, beginning to be studied.
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