Now, instead of being a copier repairman, I'm also learning about computers and printers. I've learned more about networks, routers, and protocols than I ever thought would be possible. However, the old adage, "the more things change, the more they stay the same" in many ways has remained true. Yes, our emphasis is on the "end-user," yet I find that as much as ever, the importance of human contact and one-on-one assistance is true. At SFA, we have an extensive collection of networked electronic resources. We have created the "scholar's workstation" and through multi-tasking, patrons can search our indexes, verify holdings in our catalog, check E-mail and work with word processing all from one station. Now when a patron says "I'm using that computer over there and how do I use it?", we may find ourselves answering a variety of questions.

So as the technology continues to impact the nature of librarian's work, the questions may change, but assistance and service are still key. Librarians should not be threatened by all the new "services" which the uninformed may claim will replace us. We have valuable insights on the users’ perspective which we need to continuously relay to the developers of new resources. More importantly, we need the support and knowledge of our peers. How do we get that support and benefit from that knowledge?

One way is through direct participation in the Reference Round Table. RRT provides quality programs at Annual Conference and will be working on a new edition of Texas Reference Sources. Volunteer to serve on a committee. Send ideas to RRT members. We need your feedback and involvement!

Jeanne R. Pyle, RRT Chair
Head of Access Services
Stephen F. Austin State University

• Jeanne Pyle jpyle@sfalib.sfasu.edu
• Will Stuivenga stuiveng@amigos.org