Finally, the public library as a "shrine" to the culture and values of the book is challenged by a culture which values the "passive spectator sport" of television-watching; or, as Billington observed, the substitution of the "bumper-car of emotion for the train of thought" upon which "the advancement of human intellect and society has been based."

In this regard, it is important to note that many public libraries have already risen to the occasion through the provision of Internet access. This access is enabling libraries nationwide to offer an interactive alternative as powerful as the book itself: networks and networked information.

Why are the nation's public libraries uniquely positioned to meet these challenges? Symposium speakers provided a range of answers:

• James Billington: Profound democratic instincts and a firm belief in the importance of knowledge is more deeply embedded in the library profession than any other.

• Joey Rodger, Urban Libraries Council: By providing access to new technology, libraries are in a unique position to create equity in accessing information.

• Hal Varian, University of California-Berkeley: Given the information overload (as well as material that is unwelcome or unwanted, such as cyberporn or fraudulent retailing material), public libraries can become "better bit bureaus" by evaluating and organizing information.

• Roscoe Brown, Center for Urban Education, CCNY: By providing access to the tools of language, public libraries help empower urban youth.

• Andrew Blau, Communications Policy Project, Benton Foundation: Public library strengths as public spaces and manifestations of the ideal of access provide a balance for the changes being generated by the digital transformation. And, public library involvement in creating audiences for information is even more important.

THE TRANSFORMATION
IN CONTEXT

Amy Owen, State Librarian for Utah, observed that "the transformation in the public library context can best be understood as an unfolding process; something that is occurring within a broad social and institutional context. This is not a one-time event," she pointed out, "there will be no finished product; certainly not in our lifetime." In fact, it appears those who study such matters are only beginning to understand the many, interrelated technological, institutional/market, social and political forces now underway. A snapshot of those forces, as identified by symposium participants, is presented below.

Technological

The digitization of information (that is, the encoding of information in ones and zeros) and the ability to send that information virtually anywhere via the networked environment have particular consequences for libraries. The potential availability of information to a user regardless of his/her location calls the geographic franchises of individual public libraries into question. In other words, anyone who can reach a particular public library might be considered that library's constituent.

The networked environment also calls into question whether the current paradigm of geographically-based public funding is sufficient, and how to interpret and apply legal doctrines in the copyright arena; i.e., first sale and fair use.

A second consideration, as several speakers observed, is the rapid pace of technological change. As Robert Croneberger, Director of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh observed, public libraries which automated during the last decade now find themselves in need of client-server technology.