Abstract
In this Viewpoint article, the authors discuss the role of academic libraries as active participants in the institution's teaching activities: they must be both custodians of locally-owned materials and gateways to an unlimited universe of information waiting to be converted into knowledge. The authors further state that library design should strive to create a seamless connection between the building itself and its link to the outside world, the Internet -- meeting the needs of a geographically dispersed clientele enrolled in distance education programs, teaching electronic research skills, and providing a place for students to create new documents from a variety of electronic sources.