The information utility project: A glimpse into the library of the future

Abstract A glimpse into the library information systems of the 1990s reveals libraries as “information utilities,” as accessible to their users as services provided by the gas or the electric company. This paper presents technological aspects, particularly the objectives, challenges and trade-offs, of a project aimed at realizing such “utilities.” The paper first introduces the trends in technology and procedures that can be expected to promote the development of such systems. Emergent standards, particularly in communications, but in other areas as well, will play a central role. Innovations in hardware, in software, and in the treatment of the data itself are also described. The central section of the paper is an account of the components and layered structure of a nationwide information utility. The makeup of an individual site is described in some detail along with the regional network that links library locations within a geographical area, and the national network that offers resources to all sites. The paper also offers some insight into the challenges faced by an advanced research and development project.