Should we take disintermediation seriously?

Abstract

The implications of disintermediation for librarians and information specialists (intermediaries) can be experienced as either a threat or a challenge, depending on how the issue is viewed. The different ways in which information specialists can react to disintermediation are discussed. Although most of these are viable, none addresses all implications of disintermediation. A holistic approach to disintermediation is therefore proposed, in which the situation of the intermediary is viewed within the wider society. The following aspects should be analysed with regard to their effect on disintermediation: changes in the society at large, the availability of information sources, the process of information searching, the specific organisations in which intermediaries operate, and the availability of information services. The specific end-users and the information specialists involved should also be analysed. With this approach it will be found that the effects of disintermediation will vary according to the particular situations. To prepare information specialists for the effects of disintermediation, their training should also be adapted accordingly. This article is an updated version of a paper delivered at the Fourth Southern African Online Meeting, held on 12 June 1997, in Midrand, South Africa.