Headlights on Dark Roads: Guarding the past and neglecting the future: how to reframe the future of libraries or libraries for the future: reframing their purpose or It's all on the web - isn't it?

Libraries have focused heavily on the licensing of commercially produced digital information and on the digitisation of existing paper collections. They have almost completely ignored the swelling torrent of born digital material. At the same time libraries are increasingly marginalised by the growth of major players such as Google and Microsoft who are offering suites of services as well as content. Universities are beginning to question whether libraries are still necessary. At least one future for libraries is to focus on the curation of institutionally created born digital material; to help manage the growing social networking framework for research; to add value through the aggregation of collections; and to act as the university's objective source of advice on policy, standards and practice in the area. By focusing on the unique they can define a niche position which will return them to the role of a necessary part of the academic process.