W. Diamond's scientific contributions

As business distance education programs grow, librarians must develop principles and practices for library service provision to support these students and faculty. In examining the results of their survey, it became apparent to the BRASS DEG Committee that business librarians are grappling with these issues, and that there are some serious concerns to address as this movement takes hold. As distance learning programs become even more plentiful and increasingly international in scope, it may be necessary to rely more heavily on virtual library services. To equalize access to print resources, coordination of existing library services such as circulation, interlibrary lending, and document delivery must be in place. Access to electronic resources requires attention to licensing and technical support issues. Networking, consortial, and other cooperative arrangements are important to serving business students both on-site and at a distance. Reference, instruction, and information literacy for on-site and distant business students remains paramount. On an organizational level, our professional associations must get involved in the accreditation process and draft recommendations that: can be considered by accrediting agencies. Last but not least, business librarians must advocate as vigorously for the needs of distance education students as they do for students enrolled on campus. Innovative approaches by librarians will be needed to meet the expanding needs of business distance learning clientele in the coming years. As Stanford's Robert L. Joss notes "[t]he worldwide need for management skills has never been greater, and the demand for innovative approaches to management education is high".