Abstract
The extent to which microcomputer availability has affected the level and nature of use of traditional information sources is examined. The findings of surveys of microcomputer use which are reported in the literature are summarised. The results of two field surveys which were carried out in order to examine the current and potential use of microcomputers for information handling activities are presented. The survey populations include electronic bulletin board users in the United States and university staff in Ireland. Overall, there appears to be extensive use of microcomputers for non-library oriented information retrieval activities, but less use for traditional bibliographic applications. The implications of the conclusions from both the field and literature surveys for the future role of the library are presented. The library can continue to have a very positive role in an electronic environment, if it accepts the responsibility of catering for two types of users, the information technology rich and the information technology poor.