Predicting the Future of Databases

FORETELLING THE FUTURE has never been easy, but even the smartest futurist could not have foreseen the recent economic woes. Each year for the annual Database Marketplace feature (see LJ 5/15/03, p. 38ff.), we ask companies what are the most important trends for the upcoming year. Not surprisingly, economic gloom dominated this year's forecasts. Worrying about library budgets is only part of the picture, however, as libraries and information companies alike seek ways to bring additional high-quality digital information to users in more convenient ways.

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