Back in the USA: the “Cybrarian” comes home Available to Purchase

After examining recent developments in library architecture in major European and US institutions, the author examines the creation of a “cybrary” on a new university central campus in San Diego, California, USA. He argues that smaller universities that are under tight budget and resource constraints need to prioritize their services, so that they can best determine where technology will have the optimum effect. To decide their priorities, planners need to examine what kind of facility they have and what kind of clientele they wish to serve. National University in San Diego has only recently developed a centralized campus structure; for 30 years it has had a unique program of catering to students at remote locations. The planners decided that the technology needed to enhance their off‐site delivery system, while also providing adequate on‐campus resources. The National University experience demonstrates that the cybrary model is not restricted to large academic or national libraries with large budgets and staffing resources. Establishing priorities enables planners of small library systems to stay on the cutting edge of technological integration.