The emergence of business information resources and services on the Internet and its impact on business librarianship

The emergence of business information resources and services on the Internet is discussed and its impact on business librarianship. Important resources in various business areas are identified, such as economics, finance, marketing, international business, and real estate. It is argued that business information on the Internet has become a very important part of business information services and that it poses great challenges to business librarianship. Subject knowledge in business has become increasingly crucial for business librarians to effectively identify, evaluate, select, and organise business information on the Internet. Without subject knowledge, or with a lack of subject knowledge in business, business librarians will not be able to maintain the quality of business information services. The article further argues that, given the fact that a large percentage of business librarians in the USA do not have formal training in business, it is time for library and information science schools and libraries to address this issue by setting high standards for recruiting instructors in business information and by setting high standards for employing business librarians.