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Since their inception in the early 1980s electronic books have grown substantially in popularity, mainly due to their usefulness in distributing large volumes of interactive multimedia information in the form of text, pictures and sound. This paper describes the basic nature of electronic books and the philosophy underlying their use. A basic taxonomy of electronic books is then presented and a description is given of the various techniques involved in their design and fabrication. The paper concludes with a description of some application case studies and an outline of some possible future directions of development.

Books form an important part of human culture. They can be used to document, entertain, inform and instruct. Conventional approaches to book production have involved either manual or mechanical binding of sheets of paper in order to form an organised, structured, composite entity. New publication media now offer many alternative approaches to the creation of books and the ways in which they can be disseminated and used. This paper therefore discusses the growing importance of electronic publication. It then uses a case study to illustrate the influence that online books and other forms of electronic document might have on conventional publishing processes.

Throughout their history, libraries have played many important roles within the context of knowledge archival, information retrieval and knowledge dissemination. Today, libraries fulfil very many technical, social and educational roles. Indeed, for many people ‘the library’ provides the only source of educational resource after conventional formal education has ceased. This paper discusses the basic functions of library systems and the roles that they must undertake within modern societies. The potential of new technologies and media reform within library systems is then discussed and, depending upon the extent of uptake of these new technologies, four future types of library system are identified: polymedia, electronic, digital and virtual. Each of these types of library system is described, their distinguishing features identified and the implications of such systems then discussed.

We have taken as the theme of the interview section of this issue's Focus (‘The Changing Face of Information’) the question of the role of the information professional in the epoch of the so‐called ‘Knowledge Economy’. The following question was put to members of the Editorial Board of The Electronic Library.

Libraries have become an established part of our scientific and social cultures. They provide an essential mechanism for storing, preserving and sharing documentary records of various types of human endeavour. Undoubtedly, the properties of a library are strongly influenced by the types of information that it contains and the various media used to store this information. Over the last few decades we have seen the emergence of new information handling technologies. These have significantly influenced the basic nature of conventional paper‐based libraries and have created a need for new types of ‘electronic library’. This paper discusses some of the changes that have taken place within library systems as a consequence of the emergence of new computer‐based technologies. Some case studies are presented which outline various developments within our laboratory relating to the creation of living books and dynamic electronic libraries.

In the context of information storage and sharing new electronic technology has much to offer conventional library systems. A video disc can be a valuable storage component. However, its full potential is unlikely to be realised if it is used in isolation from other equipment. Computers, communication networks and video discs can together provide many novel information storage and dissemination systems for use in libraries. This paper describes some of these and also gives a brief outline of some approaches to providing the all important user interface to such systems.

This paper describes the automation of the retrieval of online orders for the CAS Document Delivery Service. By shifting from a process using stand‐alone terminal to a process linked to a Unix network, we were able to improve the productivity of the staff responsible for operating the service and the speed with which electronic orders were dispatched. A similar shift could be used by other companies to capture online information from external sources.

The aim of the research was to design and evaluate a prototype electronic performance support system (EPSS) for libraries.

Based on the theory of performance support and usability problems identified in the use of academic libraries, a performance support system for using the Dewey Decimal Coding system was designed, implemented and evaluated. The system embedded two components: a tutorial to develop knowledge and two games to develop skills. An experimental evaluation was conducted with three groups of students to assess the effects of the two components.

The study found that students found the system useful. There was a large difference in confidence in own knowledge (in favour of the groups who studied the tutorial component), approaching statistical significance. Although no major usability problems were identified, some specific problems surfaced that should be addressed in future work. Results from staff (who also used the system) confirmed the findings from students and also highlighted the scaffolding function of the EPSS.

This research has shown the viability of performance support for academic libraries. However, it identified issues for future research, including the inclusion of sound and speech, dynamic adaptability of content to make the system more suited to specific libraries and academic disciplines, and integration with existing library systems and virtual learning environments.

The study has extended the concept of performance support to the domain of academic libraries. Given its wide applicability, the system should be valuable to academics and students worldwide.

Aims to introduce the articles in the special issue which demonstrate the many important uses to which electronic books are now being put.

The article combines narrative and analysis.

Knowledge is one of those important “commodities” which we (as individuals, groups and communities) accumulate during the process of living. There is likely to be a growing demand for highly portable, dynamic electronic books that are able to supply data, information and knowledge “on demand”. The latest wireless, satellite and server technologies now make this possible.

Provides a brief overview of the e‐book environment (for knowledge management).