Do Maltese school libraries have a future without I.T. and Internet access?

Abstract

The principal aim of this study was to investigate what is happening in the Maltese context, especially, in the Secondary school libraries. In Zebbug Boys' Secondary school, the school library is still striving to get 2 or 3 terminals installed. Pupils prefer to go to computer labs where they have Internet access rather than go to the library where there is none. Are there any other school libraries which are being denied internet access? If so, how could school libraries have a future without Internet? The Internet is a rich source of information and since the libraries are the sources of information in any institution, Internet should be accessed in libraries. On the other side, the librarian as an information specialist is the only professional, qualified enough to guide the users on how to use the Internet, which sites are relevant to particular searches and which databases are reliable.