Back to basics: A‐literacy, the Boolean gene, convergence and the long tail Available to Purchase

Based on a paper given at the Fiesole Retreat held in Lund in July 2006. This article seeks to explore issues on the future relevance of libraries in a world dominated by the web and how far “off‐web” resources will have any relevance to users.

The article combines narrative and analysis.

Libraries are slow to respond to external competitors and cultural changes, but their own practices paradoxically leave them well equipped to make such responses.

Challenges libraries to build on existing experience and skills in the Web 2.0 world.