Abstract

Rapidly changing information technologies and changes in new information type provide a new turning point in librarian's role and job as an information specialist. A library traditionally processes and manages paper-type information resources. But, with new requirements to library and changes of information sources, a digital library for use, management, and delivery of information came into existence. The appearance of digital library provides new direction for information processing and requires various changes in roles of information specialists for appropriately and quickly providing information and knowledge for users. The developments of information technology related to information and knowledge and environmental changes around library provide information specialist, who have a role in information processing and delivery, with new challenging areas. On the other hand, the traditional library areas can be infringed upon by those factors. With such rapid changes, an information specialist with a major in library and information science makes various efforts to keep their status as an information specialist and performs their role in information siciety. Currently, they partially lead an active role in the areas relating information and knowledge. This paper focuses on information specialist' current status and role in not library areas but new areas related to information technologies, and figures out requirements to take firm position in those areas.