The preservation of scholarly knowledge is one of the most rapidly changing functions of the university. The computer, or more precisely the “digital convergence” of various media— from print to graphics to sound to sensory experiences through virtual reality—may ultimately have a greater impact on knowledge than the printing press.

Throughout the centuries, the intellectual focal point of the university has been its library, its collection of written works preserving the knowledge of civilization. Today such knowledge exists in numerous forms—including almost literally in the ether, distributed in digital representations over worldwide networks—and it is not just the prerogative of the privileged few in academe but is accessible to many.

For example, the hypertext link is overshadowing the print bibliographic citation, making original source materials available to all via their own computers. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. The distinction between the book and the library may itself become blurred as the Internet evolves into a seamless mesh for probing the world’s “collection.” Similarly, because knowledge is not inherently compartmentalized, some disciplinary boundaries may actually devolve. Even without the Internet, Albert Einstein maintained that many of the most critical research challenges lay at the intersections of disciplines. Technology is now increasingly in hand for exploring those intersections.

The library is thus becoming less of a collection house and more of a center for knowledge navigation, a facilitator of information retrieval and dissemination. In addition to utilizing the new “library without walls,” scholars and students are increasingly able to access sources directly. As with learning, new electronic media allow the formation of spontaneous communities of unacquainted users, linked together in the many-to-many topology of computer networks. Researchers can now follow the work in their specialization on a day-by-day basis through web sites.

These new realities are giving rise to new challenges as well. The archiving of digital materials is one example. Scholars have

Front Matter (R1-R12)

Executive Summary (1-4)

1. Introduction (5-12)

2. Technology Futures (13-20)

3. Implications for the Research University (21-44)

4. Choosing the Future: Findings and Options (45-54)

Endnotes (55-58)

References (59-64)

Appendix A: Project Chronology (65-68)

Appendix B: January 22-23, 2001 Workshop Agenda (69-72)

Appendix C: Panel Member Bio Sketches (73-80)