Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)
History, Evolution, & Future Promise
for Librarians in Cyberspace

This Web site was designed to provide library graduate students and professional librarians with a succint introduction to, and overview of, Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). CAI's history and evolution are highlighted and discussed along with its current application in libraries and future promise for librarians.

As more information is being born and maintained in digital form, electronic information storage and retrieval become ever more important and crtitical for librarians to manage. As time and technology progress, the librarian of the future will increasingly find him/herself meeting users' needs remotely online in cyberspace. As a result, the librarian of the future will need to be prepared to provide such services as reference and bibliographic instruction in a virtual environment.

A basic understanding of CAI, and its potential application when merged with other technology based instruction such as distance learning, can greatly prepare librarians for the future that awaits.