The future of global change: A challenge to librarians Available to Purchase

It is critical that agencies know who their users are and how to evaluate the usefulness of their data and information systems. Accomplishing this task is within the intellectual and practical domain of library and information science. We have done this with other types of information systems in our institutions and we are able to assist and advise in these global change endeavors. To accomplish this task we must first educate scientists that librarians can play a substantive role. Much of the work being done with access to and cataloging of data systems under the guidance of global change science panels and working groups has already been done in the context of libraries and information centers. How are scientists to be convinced that many of their issues have already been addressed for information resources—and are applicable to data? Bridges for understanding and partnerships need to be built and language difficulties need to be overcome. Who will do the translating?