Academic Librarians and Distance Education.

LIBRARIES; UNIVERSITIES & colleges; LIBRARIES & schools; LIBRARIES & students; ACADEMIC libraries; STUDENTS

The phenomenal growth of distance-learning programs at colleges and universities has tremendous implications for providing library services to distance students. Academic libraries are trying to meet the accreditation requirements for providing "equivalent" library resources and services to on-campus students and distance learners. This article reviews the literature and presents an overview of distance-learning services offered by academic libraries. The impact of distance-learning and accreditation requirements on the work and roles of academic librarians is explored, and shifts in the roles of librarians serving distance learners and educators are discussed. The focus is on examining additional responsibilities, opportunities, and challenges encountered by academic librarians in serving distance learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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