Critical human factors in emerging library technology centers

In the past decade, librarians have developed a series of new services to users. Technology centers, geographic information systems laboratories, electronic text centers, and social science data centers, among others, provide users with the means to manipulate and transfer digital data. Though hardware and software considerations should not be discounted, human factors such as management, organizational climate, and the development of a user community will determine the success or failure of the project. From the perspective of the users, staff, and administration, this article outlines human issues important to the integration of the new service.