Libraries without resources: towards personal collections

The main function of the library of the future is to provide access to electronic sources stored elsewhere. In order to comply with the users’ needs, therefore, flexible license scenarios are necessary. Another future function of the library will be to set up and maintain a personal alerting system and to assist users in organising their own information, which should be integrated as much as possible in specific work processes of individual users. This means that the library of the future no longer provides a collection of information in the traditional sense of the term, but an access to that collection. The library’s tools, facilities, and infrastructure enable users to create their own information systems: collections consisting of links to information sources relevant for their personal use.